Condemned Memories
by Jazzmaster
Summary: All Clark wants is for Lana's birthday to be special. Instead, he finds himself up against a serial killer, and an enemy from beyond the stars. And then Lana begins to remember the day she died... Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

Condemned Memories

This would finally be the year, thought Clark, entering his third store since arriving in Metropolis. The year when things finally went right for a change. Not just right – perfectly. Lana deserved for her birthday to go perfectly. Strange to think that in all the years they'd known each other, this would be the first time they were really a couple on her birthday.

She wanted the celebration to be on a small scale. He could relate. His own birthday's had generally gone unmarked, at least until one year Lana had appeared in his barn with a cake. He'd had parties since, but somehow they never topped that simple, intimate moment shared with the girl he loved.

Scouring the various jewellery on offer, he still managed to be stunned by the cost of some of the stuff. Nothing was too good for Lana, of course, but he could hardly afford anything here. He passed by the engagement rings with only a momentary glance. Not so long ago he had proposed to Lana, and shortly afterwards she'd died.

It had always been his greatest fear; worse than kryptonite, worse than being considered a freak. Thinking that someone might get hurt because they knew his secret. It had happened to Pete, who'd left town to try and prevent anything worse happening. And merely hours after he'd told her his secret, nothing worse could have happened to Lana.

Sometimes he still felt ill thinking about it. For over five years he hadn't told her. While he could always pretend he would tell her one day, once she knew she could never stop knowing. Or so he had thought. Thanks to Jor-El he had lived through the day again. Lana lived, his father died. There was no engagement, no reveal of the truth. He could have prevented the accident that killed Lana – but he'd always have been waiting for the next one. As soon as Lana had known the secret, Lex had known she'd known. He could protect Lana from a lot of things… but maybe not a Luthor.

Then again, his father's life had been traded for his own. Maybe he wasn't worthy of being a protector, he thought as his phone began to ring. Lana's name was on the screen.

"Hey Lana," Clark said as cheerfully as possible. For all the conflicted feelings and thoughts he had over how their relationship should be, he wanted her to know he had no doubts about loving her.

"Hi, Clark. Where are you?" asked Lana.

"Oh, I'm just running an errand. For my mom," he said, all too aware of how obvious the lie was. For all that he managed to keep the truth from people, he was not necessarily a good liar. If he was, everyone close to him wouldn't always suspect he kept secrets at all. Fortunately a lie like this was easily forgiven.

"Well, I dropped by the barn, but I guess you're not running any errands here. So as it's not a wasted trip, how about I take a look around and see if I can find my present?"

Clark smiled warmly; a woman in the store thought he was smiling at her. He looked away awkwardly.

"Present… present… why would there be a present?" asked Clark.

"You're working on it right now, aren't you?"

"You spoke to my mom?" guessed Clark.

"She's standing right next to me, Clark. She says 'hi' by the way. I just told her the good news: looks like Aunt Nell will be able to make it after all."

"Lana, that's great. I know you really wanted her to come," he said, peering at a selection of pendants stored behind a glass case. One had a picture of a wolf on it. That certainly wouldn't do: it reminded him of Kyla.

"Don't worry though, she won't be arriving until later, so we can still have dinner for two. I'm just glad there's no party for her to hijack," she said. After a moments pause, she added: "There's no party, is there Clark?"

"No party," he replied. "Just a small social gathering. Us, Nell and her husband, Chloe, Pete.."

"Pete's coming?" squealed Lana.

"Yeah, he's going to be back visiting his father, so I asked if he wanted to come along. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not! I know how much you've missed having Pete around. Truth is, I've missed him too. It'll be good to catch up and talk about old times… as long as we're not going to spend the entire evening talking about you're football career."

"There are still a few stories I know are going to make him so jealous…"

"Clark…" warned Lana, a smile in her voice.

"I'm sure it won't take all night," said Clark. "All right, Lana, I'll let you go." Geez, that made it sound like he'd taken her hostage.

"Drop by later if you get a chance. Love you," said Lana sweetly.

"Love you too," said Clark, ending the call. A little kid, being dragged around the store by his father, made a fake vomiting sound.

"You'll never get married with that attitude, son," said the father. "On second thought, keep it up. It ain't worth it."

888

Prison visiting hours, and the visitor noticed the lights were dimmed slightly, almost as though trying to set a romantic mood. Or maybe the cutbacks were worse than he thought. It took him only a moment to locate the man he wanted.

Most of the other visitors were family members, but he was a drifter, and no longer kept contact with his own. His name was Edward, and he was nearing thirty, though he felt like he should be older than that, somehow. He was wearing a chequered shirt with a denim coat on top. His long dark hair was tied back with a bandanna: it had the American flag on it. The man in front of him had no hair to tie back.

"Well howdy, Sheriff. Been a long time," he said pleasantly. The man offered him a weary look.

"I look much like a Sheriff to you nowadays, son?"

Ethan Miller had in fact been a Sheriff at one point, but that changed several years back. After being blackmailed, he had shot Lionel Luthor. While many people would have patted him on the back for that one, he had also framed his friend Jonathan Kent – and murdered someone else. He doubted there had been too many visitors for Ethan the past few years.

The time in here didn't look like it had been kind on him either. Dark shadows around the eyes, worry lines around the mouth. An agitated look about at him told Edward all corners of the world now held dangers for Ethan. Not at all like the easy-going good natured Sheriff Edward had once known. The kindness he remembered on his face was long gone.

"Hardly seems fair, does it? You rot in here while Lionel Luthor's incarceration was all too temporary," he said casually. He could have been talking about the weather.

"I could say the same about your own," said Ethan with a touch of bitterness. "I believed you when you said you didn't do it. Show's just what a fool I've always been."

"I'm sorry. Lying to you was necessary. My work wasn't done. It still isn't."

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

"And what work is that?" he hissed, flecks of spit flying from his mouth.

"Atonement doesn't only occur in here, Ethan," he said with a rueful smile.

"What are you doing here, you son of a btch?" barked Ethan. A few of the guards were now watching intently. Edward decided he'd better lower his voice.

"I'm planning to play a little joke on Lionel. Figured you might want to help out," he said in a whisper.

"I don't help criminals."

"Buddy, you are a criminal. The difference between you and I is simple: I do terrible things for a reason. You did terrible things for nothing. If Lionel Luthor had died, the greater good would have been served, and you're being in here would have meaning. But it doesn't Sheriff, because you failed. And now Lionel Luthor is on the verge of grasping more power than ever," he said, pausing to let Ethan think about things. "He needs to be stopped, but I can't do this alone anymore. Help me."

"Even if I agreed to this, there's nothing I can do in here."

"Quite right. That's why the first step is to get you out of here. Lionel Luthor got out of prison because he had friends in high places. Agree to help our cause, and you will too."

"Who? Who sent you here?"

"The wind guides me," smiled Edward. "I'm going to give you some time to dwell on what I've said. I'll visit with you twice more. We can talk about anything you like. But after the third time, I won't come back, Sheriff."

With a polite nod, he turned and strode towards the exit. Behind him Ethan had risen to his feet and was calling after him.

"What's Luthor going to do? Tell me! What's that bstard up to now!?"

888

Both students at Met U, Lana and Chloe shared the same living space together. It was a small place, but perfectly functional, and since both girls got along well there were never really any problems. Clark wasn't so sure he'd have liked living in a place like that with another guy, even Pete. He was used to having his own space in the barn his father had built. Two fathers, two places where he could find solitude. Jor-El's fortress was certainly the grander of the two, but it sure didn't feel like home.

He knocked on the door, remembering himself for once. Often when Chloe was alone he barged straight on in – strictly in times of crisis, of course. He was used to people arriving unannounced in the barn, but other people generally preferred you to knock. The door opened slightly and he saw Chloe peering out. She smiled as she saw him.

"Hey, Clark. Come on in," she said, standing back.

"I take it Lana isn't back yet?"

"She can hardly travel between Smallville and Metropolis as fast as you can. I don't think she'll be too much longer. Feel free to wait," she said, sitting back at her desk. Her laptop was switched on; it looked to Clark like she was doing research for an article.

"Thanks. I'm not in the way, am I?" he asked, seating himself on Lana's bed. It looked like it had been rather hastily made that morning. He thought Lana, once a perfectionist, might have picked up some bad habits during her stay with Chloe and her dad.

"Never," she replied with a genuine smile. Chloe had been a good friend to him for a good few years now. More than ever now that she knew what he really was. She was always there to provide advice about his personal life or to help him investigate any weird goings-on. They made a pretty good team, he had to admit. Yet he knew Chloe had ambitions of climbing the ladder at the Daily Planet. Right now she was at the bottom, which left her plenty of time to help him out. Once she moved up, The Planet would require a larger commitment from her. Clark knew she had the ability to make it to the top, and he had no intention of standing in her way.

"You're quiet," said Chloe, not taking her eyes off the screen. "Which means everything must be going really badly, and you're waiting for me to ask, or everything's going really well, and you don't need me."

"Everything's fine, Chloe. I just didn't want to disturb you while you're working," he said, casting his eyes about the room. A lot of Lana's clothes were strewn about the floor; she really had picked up some bad habits. Not that he was so tidy himself, and that was with a super speed mode. He noticed the clothes were all of a much darker colour that Lana used to wear.

"Oh. Well, thank you. But it's not a problem, I can talk to you and work at the same time. Did you manage to get a present for Lana yet?"

"No, not yet. Actually, maybe that is something you could help me with…"

His trip around Metropolis had ended without success. With his speed he could travel around the world trying to find a gift. But at this rate he figured he still might come back empty handed.

"Forget it. This is one problem you can tackle without me. You know she'll love whatever you get her. If you're really struggling, why not ask your mom?"

"I already did. I even asked Lois, but she was no help whatsoever, of course."

Chloe turned round in her chair, frowning.

"You asked Lois before you asked me?"

"What are you so annoyed about? You never even tried to help," protested Clark, raising his hands in exasperation. Whether they knew his secret or not, he still sometimes thought women held more mysteries than he ever would.

"Even so…"

"Have you heard from Pete?" asked Clark, trying to divert the conversation.

"Yeah, an hour ago," said Chloe, relenting. "He's a bit worried about seeing his father again. Apparently they haven't spoken much since Pete left Smallville with his mom."

"Pete and I haven't spoken much either," said Clark. Ever since they were little, he and Pete had been inseparable. His parents had been concerned about his spending too much time with other kids, in case he accidentally revealed his abilities. But they also knew they had to give him a chance to lead as normal a life as possible. If they didn't, he would be just as badly off as he would be locked up in some lab.

"You still seem to get along though. At least as far as I've seen."

"Yeah, I mean we can make small talk. But before you knew my secret, Pete was the one I could always turn to. Remember when I ran away to Metropolis?"

"I remember," said Chloe, face unreadable.

"When I came back, Pete was really there for me. I could talk to him about stuff I couldn't even tell my parents. And because of me, he had to leave town."

Sighing, Chloe got up from the desk and sat herself on the bed next to Clark.

"It was his choice, Clark. People move. Just because you don't see him everyday doesn't mean the friendship went anywhere. Just wait: when you see him again, it'll be just like old times."

The door opened a crack and Lana stuck her head into the room.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" she asked.

"Your present isn't here, if that's what you're worried about," grinned Chloe. Clark didn't think it was though; Chloe had become a confidant to him in a way Lana couldn't be. Lana was all-too aware of this, but as far as he knew had never pressed Chloe on the matter. In turn, Clark was aware that Lana was turning to Lex. He suspected very much that she spoke about the problems their relationship had. He could have listened in with his superhearing, but his parents had raised him better than that.

"Sorry I missed you at home," he said, rising and kissing Lana's sweet lips. She closed her eyes as he withdrew, as though she were still thinking about it.

"That's alright. I was there to see Lex anyway," she said, apparently unaware she'd just stabbed his heart. She took off her coat and hung it in the closet.

"You know you can ask him to the party if you like," said Clark, who did not want Lex there at all. His friendship with Pete might not have gone anywhere, but his friendship with Lex had been buried for good.

"That's very sweet of you, Clark, but it's alright. He did offer to buy me lunch though."

Clark just nodded. He was very wary of Lana's friendship with Lex, but Lana didn't like being told who she could or couldn't be friends with. No-one did. He didn't have the right to try and run her life. But Lex didn't make that rule easy to follow…

He and Chloe exchanged a look. They both knew what Lex was really like.

"I'm going to head out for a bite to eat," said Chloe, shutting her laptop down.

"Don't go on my account," said Clark.

"People need to eat, you know."

"There's not exactly a lot in the fridge," added Lana.

"I'll see you both later," said Chloe, shutting the door on her way out.

Which left Clark alone with Lana. That would have been great – if not for the awkwardness over their love life. Specifically, the fact that they didn't have one. They had spent one night together – a wonderful, magical night – when he lost his powers. After years of longing, desire had finally been given in to. Since his powers had been restored though, he hadn't been willing to risk hurting her. Not even for that. Lana didn't understand it, couldn't, but wasn't prepared to pressurize him either. A silence passed between them and he knew she was thinking about it too.

"Are you hungry?" she asked finally. "We could go out –"

"No, I'm fine thanks. Mind if I put the TV on?"

"It's fine, but did you really come here to watch television?"

"Well, watch TV and hold my girlfriend," said Clark. He wanted to do so much more than just hold her, and they both knew it. Which made the whole thing even more puzzling for her.

She climbed on top of him, lips brushing his cheek like a soft breeze. Her breasts pressed against his body and he fell back, bringing her with him in his arms. She lay her head against his shoulder, moaning contentedly. Clark's powerful senses were permeated with her scent. He didn't think his sense of smell was going to develop like his sight or hearing, but he still thought it was greater than a human's. It made him able to take in more of Lana than anyone else, to appreciate her in way's others never could. These were great gifts… but they also kept her from him.

He was consumed with desire, but they both pretended this was enough.

888

Edward has spent a lot of time in hospitals when he was younger, but this time he wasn't here as a patient. He paced the corridors like he were lost, while in truth he knew exactly where he was going. No-one spared him a look as he went on his way, and that was good. He'd lost the bandanna – here it would merely be something to identify him later.

His body had been frail when he was younger. He'd been whisper thin, scrawny with a pale appearance. Worse, his heart had been weak. At the time, he'd been driven almost mad with his own bitterness and jealousy. His brother, fit and healthy, had been a football superstar. While he loved his brother dearly, a part of him resented him terribly.

It was during one of his visits to the hospital that he'd first met Bruce Wayne. Bruce had shared a room with him, lying in the bed next to his. As a billionaire, Bruce could have afforded private care, and Edward never knew why he hadn't taken that route. It was through Bruce he'd begun to understand how he might level the playing field when going against your physical superiors. By using your mind.

As he found the right room, he once again realised how much he missed Bruce. He'd thought he might have found a kindred spirit there, but he'd learned later that he hadn't known the man at all. No-one really knew Bruce. It pained him to recall their final encounter.

"Hello Cyrus," he said softly, looking at the boy in front of him. He supposed technically Cyrus was a man now, but essentially time had frozen for him on the day he fell into his coma. He'd been like this for three years now, and no-one was holding any real hope of him waking up. Although he was fed through a drip, he'd lost weight, and Edward didn't think he'd had that much to lose. His skin was hanging slack off his bones.

Cyrus was different from most of the meteor freaks, in that his power was to heal, not destroy or corrupt. As Edward understood it, he had saved the life of a bully, healing his broken neck before suffering a complete mental breakdown. It made things more difficult for him, knowing that. Often he could justify what he did with the knowledge that these were not good people he was dealing with.

His resolve had been tested before, however, and he would not waver. Tears filled his eyes; he had to fight back a sob.

"I have no choice," he whispered. "Forgive me."

Lifting the pillow gently from under Cyrus' head, he hesitated only a moment. There weren't many people who would miss him. A boy named Clark Kent had apparently visited him a few times, but not many others. Cyrus. The name would be added to the list in his head. It wasn't much, but it was all he could do to honour them. He placed the pillow over Cyrus' face, holding it down firmly, and waited for the end.


	2. Chapter 2

Lex was refusing to let his father know how annoyed he was at present. The Luthor Mansion was his now; his father should have had nothing to do with the place anymore. Yet here he was, sitting behind his desk, his feet planted casually on top of it. His own telephone had been brought in, and Daddy Dearest was using it to talk to Martha Kent, of all people. The two of them had been spending a lot of time together since Jonathan died. Or, to look at it another way, since Martha had become State Senator. Somehow though, Lex doubted his father's interest was purely professional.

"I appreciate it's not the kind of event you would normally attend, Martha, but you have to start thinking beyond the borders of Kansas…"

Once, Lex would have thought his father was using Martha to get to Clark. Like Lex, Lionel had believed Clark to be someone who held incredible secrets. But for a long time now Lionel seemed to have given up looking into Clark's life. Lex found that very interesting, because as far as he could tell, this change had occurred right around the time Lionel had temporarily switched bodies with Clark… and been miraculously healed from a terminal illness. And recently Clark himself had actually returned from the dead…

He didn't know what Martha said on the other end of the line, but whatever it was, it got his father laughing uproariously.

"I can promise you, you'll have a good time. We could fly out together, if you like… Then it's settled. I'll see you then, if not before," said Lionel. Lex watched, expression neutral, as his father replaced the phone with a self-satisfied look on his face.

"Don't tell me you invited her along to the auction?" he said, pouring himself a glass of brandy. He didn't offer his father any.

"Why not? I'm sure they'll be some delightful pieces on display. I understand there will be some ancient artefacts put under the hammer. Not to mention that item you're planning to bid on."

Lex narrowed his eyes. He hadn't told his father about that, but as usual he seemed to know anyway. The man still held the ability to surprise him. Every time Lex thought he was about to truly surpass him, he raised his game. To this day the two of them managed to bring out the best – and the worst – in each other. But Lionel was growing older, and it was only ever a matter of time…

"You'd better not try to interfere on this one, dad. I mean to have that book," said Lex. His father appeared to be inspecting the ceiling.

"Hmm? Oh, I have no intention of bidding for that myself. It's an obvious fake anyway. I thought you might have recognised that," said Lionel, too casually for Lex's liking. His father was a master at bluffing and double-bluffing.

"Despite the fact that two independent experts have verified it's accuracy," countered Lex.

"Of course they have. Consider the stakes, son, and how 'independent' the sources truly are."

"I'm serious. You're not taking this from under my nose."

"I know how serious you are, Lex," said Lionel, his own tone now altering subtly, taking on a darker edge. "I know that you put in a massive offer to try and stop the book from even going to auction in the first place. But it isn't me you need to worry about."

Lex could have wrung his father's neck at this point, but remained completely calm on the surface. It was amazing how much more powerful you appeared when you didn't lose your temper.

"Meaning what exactly?"

"There are going to be a lot of very rich people there on the big night. Some whose wealth may even surpass your own. My sources tell me Bruce Wayne is considering entering the bidding for that very item."

Lex blinked, weighing his father's words carefully. He'd met Wayne the odd time, but couldn't say he knew him all that well. The man appeared superficial and self-absorbed in his experience. Lex knew what his interest in the book was, but couldn't imagine what Wayne's might be.

"Well, if that's true, then Mrs Kent is going to be in for quite a show," said Lex with a half-smile.

888

It took Clark only a moment to return to Smallville from Metropolis, as usual. If not for his super-speed, he probably wouldn't be able to see as much of Lana and Chloe as he did. This did mean, however, that occasionally awkward questions got asked. He had to be particularly careful when Lois was staying with them, which she did more frequently that he would have liked.

"Mom, is Lois around?" he asked as he entered the house. Since his father had died and his mom had taken the role of Senator, he had been left running the farm single-handed. Working at super-speed there was no problem, but when Lois was around he was restricted in what he could do. It meant he was in danger of falling behind.

"No, sweetie, she's in Metropolis tonight," said Martha. She looked a million miles away from the woman who had been married to Jonathan Kent, with a fancy suit on and more makeup than she'd used to wear. Her hair was also held up with a hairpin, something she'd rarely used to do. Clark could see she was busy preparing some kind of speech. He shrugged his coat off and was about to get to work to save disturbing her when she put the papers to one side. She clearly wanted to talk to him about something.

"I'm really sorry to have to tell you this," she said, her eyes full of motherly concern. Immediately she was transformed from State Senator back into good old mom again. "I just heard about it a little while ago. You remember Cyrus, the boy who had the power to heal? He died earlier today."

She put on hand on his shoulder, eyes trying to read the level of his response. For a while he'd believed that Cyrus might be an alien, just like him. He'd seemed to have heat vision, though Chloe had proved that had been a trick. As it turned out, his only power was to heal, and it was a power he had received from the meteor shower. At the time, Clark had been disappointed Cyrus wasn't like him. Since then though, he'd met several people who were – like 'Professor' Milton Fine and the two kryptonians who arrived during the second meteor shower. Cyrus had been worth ten of them.

"No-one ever expected him to wake up from his coma," said Clark. Believing he'd abandoned his only chance to return home, Cyrus had suffered a complete breakdown, unable to cope with the reality of his situation. While Clark would give anything not to have to live a lie, Cyrus would have done anything to avoid the truth.

"Clark, are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine, mom," said Clark, forcing a smile. "He was a good guy, though."

"I know," said Martha. He moved to get back to work, hoping it might stop him dwelling on things too much, but apparently his mom wasn't finished yet. "Lionel asked me along to an auction in Metropolis tomorrow night."

"You said no, right?" asked Clark, already certain of the answer. She seemed to find some comfort in his company, though he didn't understand why. He supposed it didn't help that he wasn't around all that much. He was too busy trying to juggle college, Lana, and helping people in trouble. It felt like he was trying to lead several lives at once.

"At first, but you know how persuasive he can be."

"I also know how dangerous he can be. Mom, you've never really seen that side of him…"

"You've said it yourself: he's changed since he's been in prison. I'm not pretending he's a saint, but there is good in him," she said. Clark grunted. It wasn't too long ago he'd only seen the good in people as well. The destruction of his friendship with Lex had changed that. Also, he thought, he had to voice his father's thoughts. Jor-El's will lived on through an artificial intelligence; Jonathan's lived on through him. As ever though, none of The Kent's were good at changing their minds once they were made up.

"So what kind of stuff's going to be at the auction?" asked Clark, backing down for now. He just couldn't bear there being any kind of awkwardness between them at the moment. "I'm guessing it's a little grander than the farmer's ones dad used to take us to."

"I'm not really sure, but it sounds like a lot of important people will be there. It should be interesting."

"I hope you have a good time, anyway," said Clark, not sounding entirely convinced. "Now, I really have to get to work. Some of us have to keep the farm running while the Senator spends funds at auction."

888

No matter how fast he was, a farmer's work was never done for long, and he awoke early next morning to get more done. Mucking out stalls wasn't anyone's idea of a dream job, but he did it as always without complaint. Still, he'd always enjoyed working alongside his father, and now he had to go it alone. It hurt to think that they'd never be together again.

He was finished and eating breakfast in no time. Since his mother had been up late working last night he'd prepared it himself. It was a tough schedule, but he knew his mother was the equal of it. Besides which, although Lois could be a pain at times, she was great at helping her out. She'd proven to be a real asset.

Clark had his own schedule to keep to, and after fetching his bag he was about to run to college. It was useful that he no longer had to worry about getting a bus. People went to the college from all around, and no-one was suspicious about how he got there. Plus his speed had now increased to the point where he was faster than the eye could see. Whereas a few years before he might have to worry about someone seeing him blurring past, he now no longer had to be so cautious. Before he could go, however, the phone started to ring. Speeding over to it, he picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Clark? You sure picked up fast," said Lana.

"Uh, yeah, I was right next to the phone," said Clark, aware he sounded much too defensive. "What is it, Lana? I was just about to head off to class."

"Have you heard about Cyrus?"

"Yeah, my mom told me. I guess it was what we expected, but still…"

"I know what you mean. It was Chloe who told me. I was surprised by how it hit me. I never really knew him, but when he saved Tyson., he gave me one of the most wonderful gifts. Kind of weird, thinking he was an alien and all, though."

"I wouldn't say that. Sometimes I think it's amazing so many people actually manage to face reality."

Lana remained silent for a moment, and Clark wondered what she was thinking.

"The truth can be difficult, Clark, but sooner or later it's something we all have to face up to."

"I guess so. Look, I'll call you tonight."

"Maybe I could drop round later? I don't have any real classes today…"

Clark hesitated. Of course he wanted to see Lana – he missed being able to see her every day – but his mom would be out tonight. Giving them the place to themselves. Which would probably raise the whole sex issue all over again.

"I could be pretty busy…"

"Not a problem," said Lana, though she couldn't hide her disappointment completely. "I'll catch you later then. Clark?"

"Yeah?"

"I know this is a difficult time for you. I just hope you realise how much I love you. With your father dying, it just makes the issues we have seem really small, at least by comparison. Because I know there's nothing I want to do more than help you through this. You'll always come first, Clark."

"Thanks, Lana. I do know. I'll see you soon."

He cursed himself as he hung up the phone. A few years ago, before he and Lana were friends, he used to think about using his powers to impress her. Things had been so much simpler then. Now he could only think about how his abilities could hurt her. Doesn't matter how fast you can move, he thought glumly. You keep moving in circles you're just going to end up back at the same spot.

888

Ethan already knew what to expect when he was told he was meeting with his lawyer. His lawyer wouldn't be there, of course. Lawyers did not support St Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. He of all people knew how the law worked.

"Good morning, Sheriff," said Edward, shuffling a bunch of important looking documents. His hair was tied back in a ponytail, and he was wearing a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. He was also wearing a semi-expensive suit. He sat down as Edward dismissed the guard; this would be a private meeting with his 'client'.

"Yesterday, you came here looking like a bum. Today you're apparently a lawyer. As for me, I wasn't a Sheriff yesterday and I'm sure as hell not one today."

Edward chuckled, not taking his eyes from his notes. Ethan wondered exactly what was written there.

"I'm no lawyer. A friend pulled some strings, that's all. We're discussing some rather dangerous things here. Best we're not overheard."

"You talk about killing Lionel Luthor, somebody's going to overhear you."

"Sooner or later, yes."

Ethan waited impatiently for him to continue, but Edward remained silent, just looking over his notes.

"So, are you going to tell me more about what's going on? Lionel's done so much damage over the years, why do you want him dead now?"

"Hmm?" asked Edward, as though he hadn't been listening.

"Don't ignore me, you crazy bstard. Aren't you here to tell me what's going on? Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Finally meeting his stare, Ethan was surprised to see how calm the man was.

"Actually, I'm here today to ask you two questions. The first is this: when you decided to shoot Luthor, when you started to frame Jonathan Kent, when you killed the barman… on some level, do you think you wanted someone to stop you? To catch you?"

Caught off guard, Ethan considered the question for a moment. It wasn't like he had wanted to do any of those things. But events had spun out of control… Luthor had needed to be stopped, but the law couldn't touch him. Ethan had once believed in justice, but Lionel Luthor had crapped all over that belief. There had been no other choice. Yet once his friends had been brought into it, the guilt and shame became so powerful…

"I tried so hard not to get caught. I knew what I was doing to Luthor was right – he deserved it- but I should never have done that to my friends. It's just that… I just wanted to save my own worthless skin. Once Jonathan's son – Clark, a fine kid – stopped me…I don't know, it was just such a relief. If he hadn't, I don't know how far I would have gone to bury the truth," he said, close to tears. Edward merely nodded; Ethan had no idea if the answer satisfied him or not.

"Then here's my second question," said Edward, leaning closer. From here, Ethan could see that his top lip had scabbed over, as though he had been picking at it. "If you could go back in time and kill Hitler, would you do it?"

888

Martha found herself arriving to board the Luthorcorp jet with little time to spare. She remembered not so long ago that running The Talon had seemed an impossible task, and now she held a position far more demanding. It was a wonder she managed to cope, but her husband and son had taught her that people could learn to deal with almost anything. With Jonathan gone and Clark growing up, it helped her to keep busy.

"Sorry I'm a bit late," she said as Lionel approached. A fair wind was blowing, sending his wild hair all over the place.

"Not at all, Martha," said Lionel, looking like he was about to peck her on the cheek. Instead his head swivelled towards her companion. "And will you be joining us, Miss Lane?"

"Mrs Kent invited me along," said Lois coolly. Martha knew Lois didn't exactly think highly of The Luthors. Lionel, however didn't appear to be put out in the slightest. She was almost guilty at the thought. What exactly was she expecting? Did she want him to be disappointed it wasn't just the two of them? Of course not – Jonathan had not been long buried, and she couldn't imagine ever moving on. Certainly not with someone Jonathan despised.

"I hope you don't mind, it's just Lois was so excited when I mentioned it –"

"Not at all. I should have asked if you wanted to bring someone along," he said, leading them aboard the jet. "I wished you'd told me sooner, but I'm sure we can squeeze her in at our table."

"It was a last minute kind of a thing," said Lois. Martha took a seat next to the window and Lois sat down beside her, leaving Lionel to sit across from them.

"Is Lex coming along with us?" asked Martha. She could see a couple of crew members running around outside. "I think you said he was planning on going?"

"Lex flew out to Metropolis by helicopter this morning," said Lionel, making himself comfortable. "He had a little business matter to attend to before the auction. I'm sure we'll see him there."

"Any advice about the auction?" asked Lois suddenly, jerking forwards in her seat. Martha turned to look at her; Lionel raised an amused eyebrow. "What? I figure if I see something nice, I might splurge a little."

"In that case, I suggest you attach yourself to a rich, easily-led young man for the evening," said Lionel. "I'm sure the Senator pays you as well as she can afford, but I rather imagine most of the goods will be, uh, slightly out of your price range."

"I could sell the farm and not even come close to some of the bids, from what Lionel's saying," confessed Martha. She could hear the plane getting ready for takeoff; they'd be in Metropolis in no time. No time by her own standards at any rate – to her son, flight was one of the slowest means of travel.

"Great, a bunch of guys arguing all night over who has the biggest chequebook," said Lois, mouth tight.

"Not to worry, Miss Lane. They'll be plenty of food and drink to keep you and The Senator entertained. In fact, I have a chilled bottle of champagne for us to enjoy once we're in the air," said Lionel, then smiled at Martha. "I wouldn't overdo it though, Martha. I don't want you to end up bidding the farm for real, after all."

"Do you plan on buying anything yourself?" Martha asked.

Lionel waved a hand as if the question were unimportant.

"Possibly."


	3. Chapter 3

The TV blared in the background as Clark worked on a report for one of his college classes. His lecturers were sympathetic towards him, both because of the death of his father and also as a result of the 'mysterious disappearance' of Professor Milton Fine. Yet he was never late handing in assignments, and what he did scored highly. Despite all the problems he had, his mind seemed to have no trouble retaining information. Whenever he focused, and wasn't daydreaming about Lana, he found he did really well. He figured it was like one of his abilities, but this one was a lot easier to hide than heat vision or super strength. The mind could be a lot more subtle, as Professor Fine had taught him.

A sharp knock on the door broke the spell; he was surprised how absorbed he had become in the writing. Not that the subject matter was all that interesting. Dropping his pen he walked over to the front door. Maybe Lana had decided to drop by after all. Despite his reservations earlier, he still wanted to see her, he realised. But it wasn't Lana at the door.

"Pete?"

"Been too long, Clark. How you been doing?"

Clark stood there surprised for a moment as Pete offered his hand. He took it and Pete pulled him forward in an embrace.

"It's good to see you again," said Clark.

"Likewise. So, can I come in, or am I interrupting anything?"

"No, not at all. Come on in," said Clark, ushering him inside. "Take a seat."

Pete sat himself on the sofa while Clark took a chair.

"Your mom around?"

"Afraid not. She's at an auction in Metropolis with her good friend Lionel Luthor," he said. He could tell Pete sympathised with his predicament. Clark's growing dislike of The Luthor's was one thing he and Pete talked about on the phone quite a lot. It was something Pete definitely approved of.

"Well first off, I think your mom's crazy if she thinks she can trust him," said Pete. "Second of all, if you got the place to yourself, why isn't Lana here?"

Clark shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"It's not like we need to be together all the time or anything…"

"I don't know what you got between your legs, but if it were me…"

"Drop it, Pete," said Clark, slightly embarrassed.

"Seriously man. I mean, I was thrilled you two finally got together again, but from what I hear, things ain't always so great between you. I'm guessing it's because of your secret?"

"It's because of a lot of things, Pete," said Clark, staring intently at a point somewhere to the left of Pete's head. Since Pete left Smallville, Clark had made a point of not burdening him with his problems. In fact, the roles had rather switched, with Clark listening to Pete talking about his parents divorce. Or at least they had for awhile, before largely losing touch. Yet with the pair reunited it felt like they had never been separated.

Still, he didn't plan on telling Pete about everything that he had been through since he went away. His friend was here to have a good time catching up with people, not to be put upon. Felt comforting having him around though. Sensing Clark wanted it left alone, Pete just nodded. For the first time since arriving, the thought Pete looked awkward. It looked like Pete didn't want to test the boundaries of their friendship.

"If you ever want to talk, I'm here," said Pete. "Uh, well not here, obviously. But if you ever want to pick up the phone or speed over to my place… it's cool, is what I'm saying."

"Thanks, Pete. You know that works both ways… apart from the speeding part, of course."

"Speaking of speeding, you eaten anything yet? I would have brought something over, but I figured with you being all Super Clark and all…"

888

Edward always thought it was a miracle he didn't go crazy, doing what he did. Technically, he supposed he had once, when his doubts had begun to get the better of him. It had all been so different when it started. It hadn't been necessary to kill people; he was supposed to be a hero.

It was during his period of… mental fragility that he had truly begun to understand the cost of his failures. Painful lessons had been learned. With help, he had somehow managed to pull himself back together. Now that he had, it was time to work on that redemption he'd spoken to Ethan about. But that was still a hard word to use when you were thinking of killing a sixteen year old girl. He knew it needed to be done, knew the price that others would pay in the future if he didn't accomplish his task in the present. It never made it easier. He found himself close to tears as he observed her from afar.

For awhile, it seemed like it might not matter. The girl was a meteor freak; she couldn't have been infected when the meteors originally struck, so something had happened to her more recently. He didn't know how it happened, but it didn't really matter. What mattered was what her power was, and her power was to shield herself from harm. Perhaps she could shield others as well, but this wasn't something he was interested in testing. Other tests were required though, all of them geared towards one thing: finding a weakness he could exploit. This turned out to be rather difficult.

Rigging a series of accidents to gauge how her power operated, he was dismayed to learn that the shield was activated instantaneously when she was threatened. She didn't need to be aware of the danger, making her essentially invulnerable. That left him with a problem, as he had no way to learn the potential strength of the barrier without revealing his intentions.

Yet he refused to give up, certain a solution would present itself. His mind, used to solving such problems by now, soon offered a possibility. The shield activated whenever it perceived a physical threat… but might it be possible to slip something through? With some difficulty, he was able to slip poison into her food as she ate out at a restaurant. Sneaking into the kitchen undetected, he added it to the meal and exited discreetly. Positioning himself at the bar, he waited for the result. As she began to eat, he was dimly aware that part of him wanted to fail. He wanted the girl to live, yet was bound by the knowledge that he must kill her. It was a horrendous trap to be caught in.

He watched as the girl lifted the fork to her mouth… and watched it go no further. He almost laughed. Puzzled, the girl tried again… and again… but the invisible barrier prevented it. Edward watched, marvelling as the girl started to panic. She could have no idea what was happening, after all. And now other people were turning to look at her. Edward's finger ran around the edge of his glass. Somehow, the shield could protect her from anything. Anything at all. Nothing could get through, he realised. Nothing could get through…

The girl made her excuses and separated from her friends. No reason for her to fear going home alone – she'd learned that no harm could come to her, even if she wanted it to. It was a power that had doubtless saved her many times, but now it was a power that was going to be turned against her. He followed her; easy to do, distracted as she was. Her mind was no doubt racing, trying to work out what had happened. She turned into an alley, and he pressed forwards, riding his luck. He'd pressed it many times, but help came to him in such ways. He wasn't alone in his mission.

He drew his gun from where he concealed it with his jacket and announced his presence with a cough. Not that he planned to shoot her, of course; if he did that the bullet would merely bounce harmlessly from the barrier. Harmlessly for her anyway – it could easily rebound and strike him dead.

"What do you want? Money?" she asked, sounding more annoyed than anything. He felt for her terribly; she thought him a simple criminal, thought the advantage was hers. She couldn't know she stood no chance now.

"I wish it was like that," he said slowly, eyes glinting. "If it was, you'd be safe. But you're not, Amber. I know about your shield, and I know your weakness."

Her eyes narrowed, uncertainty clear in her body language. Her power was a closely guarded secret. No-one but her father was supposed to know it. The barrier protected her from physical danger, and he protected her from others.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

"If you have any last words, a last request, I'll listen," he said, putting the weapon away.

"Bite me, it's fun," she said, turning around. Moving swiftly, his arm a blur, he grabbed her from behind, wrapping his hands around her neck. Or so he tried, but they stopped about half an inch from there. The shield had activated against her will, and that was going to finish her. Once it was on, he knew she couldn't turn it off, not while she was being threatened.

And as he'd noticed, nothing could get through. Not even air. He'd seen it when she was in the restaurant. She hadn't panicked just because she didn't know what was happening; she'd panicked because she'd suddenly found herself unable to breathe. The force that had protected her was now killing her. As she began to realise what was happening, she struggled wildly, but he was too strong for her. Absurdly, he felt the need to try and comfort her, but the shield wouldn't even let him do that.

"It's all right, Amber. Everything's going to be just fine," he said gently, unsure she could hear. He doubted it would put her at ease anyway. No doubt she thought he was crazy. How much simpler things would be if that were so.

"I'm so sorry…"

888

By Lois's count, there were over two dozen tables scattered around the floor of the auction. For a horrible moment she thought Lionel was planning to introduce them to each and every person at each and every one of them. To her relief, he stopped after the first few. Still, she was sure he knew virtually every single person taking part.

Finally he escorted her and Mrs Kent to where they would be seated for the evening. There was a bar, but to her dismay the drinks weren't free. Martha and Lionel were presently debating whether or not they would be on Lionel for the evening. Martha, of course, was against that idea, though Lois wouldn't have protested at all.

"Mr Luthor," interrupted a scrawny middle-aged man.

"Ah, Richard," said Lionel, beaming. "Meet Senator Kent and her uh, staff member Lois Lane."

They exchanged polite greetings, Lois gradually becoming aware that she was slightly tipsy from the champagne drunk on the plane.

"Richard helps run a shelter for the homeless," said Lionel.

"Yes, and we were all disappointed when we lost your support. For awhile there, we thought we'd turned the corner."

Lois frowned. She knew that after his release from prison, Lionel had acted like some born again Christian. He'd spent a lot of time helping out good causes. Well gosh, she'd thought, that was super and all, but it didn't really balance the books. It was creative accounting, but Lionel had a black hole of debt as far as she was concerned. It was him who'd brought her to Smallville in the first place when he'd tried to kill her cousin. And, she suspected, his own son as well.

"Well, I still endeavour to help out worthy causes in some small way," said Lionel.

"It can feel like a thankless task sometimes," said Martha. "Those people are lucky to have you."

"I do what I can," said Richard, looking slightly embarrassed but also pleased by the compliment.

A few other introductions were made, everything seeming very pleasant and civilised. Lois wondered if that would last once things really got started. A few heads turned as a young man with rugged good looks walked in, a woman (pretty in a plastic sort of way) on his arm. She watched the pair, hearing a few murmurs that were less good-natured now, and wondered who he was. He certainly looked familiar. Lionel also noticed the stranger's arrival, but did not offer any introductions this time. Lois thought she was pretty good at reading people – her cousin envied her slightly for it – but Lionel's face was a closed book. She was about to ask who the man was when Lex strode in accompanied by a couple of men and a young woman hanging off his arm. If Lex moved even a step too quick she would probably fall on her face.

"Looks like Mrs Kent isn't the only one with a date for the evening," she said too-loudly. Martha gave her a slightly embarrassed look, and she cursed her big mouth.

"Always a pleasure, Lois," said Lex coolly. His date was a vacant looking blonde who glanced about the room starry-eyed. It almost made Lois want to throw up. "Good to see you here, Mrs Kent. I hope you'll keep my father's spending in check."

"It's you I'd be worried about, Lex," said Lionel without looking at his son. He was instead looking very deliberately at the man who had walked in moments before. That man was now seated at a table towards the back of the room.

"I hardly expect to be out of pocket pursuing what is essentially a curiosity item," said Lex, arm around the blonde's waist. He didn't appear to be about to introduce her. For a cynical moment Lois wondered if the billionaire actually knew her name. Lex had quite a reputation when it came to women, even if he apparently had eased up somewhat over the years. "Unless I'm going to be bidding against you, of course."

"Oh, not at all," said Lionel, smiling. "I'm here as more of a spectator this evening."

She thought Lex looked slightly irritated for a moment, but it passed almost immediately. Getting Lex to betray his emotions was not an easy thing, though Lionel knew exactly how to provoke a reaction. It was only now that Lex finally gave in and turned to see what his father was looking at.

"So Wayne is here," said Lex. "I must say, I'm surprised. This hardly seems like his sort of scene."

"You have no idea what Bruce's scene is, son," said Lionel.

"The two of you are in this together," said Lex flatly. Lionel snorted in response.

"You vastly misjudge Bruce if you think he'd ever do anything to help me. I'm hardly going to win him over with money, am I?"

"Wait a minute," said Lois, looking around at Bruce, who was ignoring the fact he was being stared at. "That's Bruce Wayne?"

"You didn't recognise him?" asked Martha.

"You did?" asked Lois. "You don't seem all that interested. I mean, the man's a legend."

"Actually, I've met him before," replied Martha. "I doubt either of them remember, but Bruce came through Smallville when he was still just a boy. Clark and his friend Pete were playing out in a field, and Bruce watched them for awhile. I asked if he wanted to join in, but he didn't want to."

"That must have been soon after his parents died," said Lionel quietly.

"It was," said Martha. "I remember wanting to say something to him at the time, but it didn't seem appropriate. That little boy just looked so lost."

"Clark sure has a way of running into people more interesting than he is," said Lois.

"Well, I hope you all enjoy your evening," said Lex pleasantly, though his eyes never left Bruce. His table was a little away from theirs, towards the centre of the hall. Their food was served and a man soon appeared on stage to tell everyone that the auction would begin shortly.

"Bruce has chosen a good table," said Lionel, dabbing around his mouth with a napkin. "It gives him an excellent view of the room. I'd have chosen it myself, if I'd wanted to get a look at as many faces as possible."

"What exactly is going on with the three of you?" asked Martha.

"Nothing to do with me. As for Bruce and Lex… well, you'll soon see for yourself."

He certainly looked to be enjoying himself, thought Lois. In fact, most people were; there was a certain buzz about the place. She couldn't help but feel that anticipation of the auction would be greater than the auction itself. Only Bruce appeared disassociated with things. Lionel was right; he was taking note of people's faces. Why?

"Thank you for your patience, ladies and gentleman. Glad to see such a big turnout this evening," said an undersized bespectacled man who took centre stage. Surrounded as he was by numerous charismatic rich people, his presence was incredibly small. "As I'm sure you're all aware, ten percent of all the money spent tonight will go to good causes right here in Metropolis, so don't be afraid to be generous."

That would explain Richard's attendance, thought Lois, but not Bruce's. She was coming to realise that the auction held less interest to her than the mystery of Bruce and Lex. Not to mention Lionel, who was keeping his cards close to his chest.

888

"Do we have any idea who he is?" asked Clark, eyes locked on Chloe's computer screen.

"Not yet. I have some people looking into it, but nothing so far. Sure you don't recognise him?"

Clark nodded. Like a person with a photographic memory, he didn't have to think about something like that. He either knew or he didn't.

"Not many people checked in on Cyrus after he fell into his coma. He didn't exactly have any friends, but I don't see how he could have any enemies either."

"Which leaves us with a few possibilities. Cyrus was pretty well known as a meteor freak; could be someone with a vendetta against them. Or it could have been a mercy killing."

"In other words, we're not going to know until we catch him."

"Or at least until more dead bodies show up," said Chloe gravely.

"More dead bodies?" asked Lana as she entered the room. Her hair was wet, a towel still wrapped around it. Clark looked at her appreciatively, but realised that this wasn't a good time for him to be distracted. Although a shower was definitely something the pair could enjoy together without him having to worry…

Chloe gave a questioning glance towards him. He didn't see any reason to shut Lana out of this, however. He already did that more than enough. He and Lana were among the only people who were going to care about seeing justice done over Cyrus' death.

"We think Cyrus was murdered," said Chloe. Lana turned to Clark, who shrugged.

"We don't know anything for sure yet," he said. "But someone was caught on CCTV entering his room not long before he was found dead."

"I don't believe it," said Lana, pressing her body against Clark's in an almost empathic gesture. "Why would anyone…?"

"I have no idea. The security footage isn't the best. We're hoping we can get an ID on the guy…"

"Well, I think we all know who this is a job for," said Lana. Noticing Clark's blank look, she added: "The police."

"I'm sure they're on top of things," said Clark carefully. While Lana knew (too well) about his tendency to involve himself in certain situations, he certainly didn't want her thinking he was a vigilante. She'd come close to that before.

Before Lana could say more, a small bleeping sound indicated Chloe had received an e-mail. Clark didn't bother looking at it – more likely it was junk than something useful – before Chloe turned to face them open-mouthed.

"Guy's… Lex Luthor's just been shot."


	4. Chapter 4

It amazed Lois what lengths some guys would go to just to get a peek at a girl's diary. Both Lionel and the auctioneer had offered some vague explanation about an expedition, which completely failed to justify the scene unfolding in front of her.

The bidding had opened at two thousand dollars. Someone near the front put a bid forth immediately. Mrs Kent's face was a mask of bewilderment, while Lionel's eyes glinted with humour. The auctioneer, startled, almost dropped the book from his hands. It wasn't all that big; it could almost have fit in your pocket. Lois noticed the front cover, although not old, was worn and a significant tear ran down the front.

"Is it really worth that much?" asked Martha.

"I'm no expert," said Lionel. "But in my opinion, it is essentially worth nothing."

Except Lois thought that was a lie. She certainly had no idea why it might be worth so much, but Lionel was undeniably interested in it. He'd so far bid on two items (successfully, of course) and she'd known instinctively he'd done that simply because he could. So far he hadn't put a bid in, but Lois was certain that it was the journal he was here for. So why did he care about a woman's journal written six years ago?

"Ten thousand," said Lex casually. Lois blinked – the last bid had been for only six thousand. Two other bidders shook their heads at the auctioneer. Lionel turned his head towards Bruce Wayne, who was whispering in his date's ear. He looked completely oblivious to everything that was going on.

"Are we all done at ten thousand?" asked the auctioneer, sounding surprised bidding hadn't ended several thousand earlier.

"Fifteen thousand," declared a young woman, giggling as everyone turned to look at her. Lex looked bewildered, before narrowing his eyes as he saw Bruce Wayne's companion had placed the bid. On Bruce's behalf, Lois knew. The girl looked like she belonged here about as much as she did. It didn't take Lex long to recover; in fact he looked like he relished the challenge.

"Twenty-five thousand."

Martha looked to Lionel, who wasn't about to offer an explanation. Lois wondered how much money Lex was prepared to pss away here.

All eyes in the room were now switching between Lex's table and Bruce's, almost as though following a ball in a tennis match. Lost as they were in the battle of the billionaire's, most people didn't notice the double doors leading into the room opening.

They did, however, hear the gunshot. It took Lois a moment to realise that the bullet had been fired into the air; no-one was actually hurt. At least not yet. Beside her, Martha was looking shocked, while Lionel merely looked grim. Three men, clad entirely in black with balaclavas over their heads strode in, spreading out immediately. All of them were equipped with handguns. Around her, Lois could see several people ducking under their tables.

"I'm not sure 'what you don't know can't hurt you' can be applied to this situation," she whispered to Mrs Kent. She noticed Martha looking at someone with concern, and turned to take a look herself. If she'd thought Lex crazy for bidding twenty-five thousand dollars for a few words that had been strung together, he was acting crazier now. He was standing up.

"Whatever you're being paid, I can –"

Lois recoiled at the deafening sound of the gun being fired echoed through the room. Lionel's eyes widened with shock. For that matter, so did Lex's. Blood flowed from his arm where he'd been shot and he slumped back in his chair. He used his free hand to apply pressure to the wound, swearing as he grimaced with pain.

"Now that I have your attention," declared the shooter, walking past Lex as if he didn't exist. He gestured to the man on stage. "Throw me the book."

The little man gave a nervous look at someone in the crowd. He hesitated until a warning shot whistled past his ears. Part of the wall exploded behind him. Cringing, legs trembling (Lois could see a damp patch forming around the crotch of his pants) he picked up the book and threw it at the shooter.

The thief managed to make the catch look easy, even with one hand. She supposed it had been too much to hope he'd try to clap his hands together and accidentally shoot himself in the foot or something.

"He needs help," shrieked Lex's female companion, while the two other men at the table fidgeted in their seats. They looked more embarrassed than anything else. Not members of his security team, clearly.

One of the men strode past their table. Lois knew she could have taken him but resisted the urge to strike. The other two would shoot her before she could do anything else useful. She didn't know about the other, but the one who shot Lex knew how to handle a gun. He'd shot very deliberately to wound Lex, not kill him. And once they started shooting, it might not be easy for them to stop. Mrs Kent placed a hand on hers; she wasn't sure if it was meant to reassure her or an indication that she shouldn't try to be a hero.

"Let's go," said the man with the book clasped to his chest. What the hell was it about that thing? People were treating it like a first edition Harry Potter or something. It was absolutely crazy.

The trio of thieves reunited at the doorway, checking the crowd to see if anyone looked likely to follow. The leader grabbed a woman who'd had the misfortune of sitting near the back and put his gun against her head.

"Anyone follows, the girl dies," he declared.

"No!" shouted Lex, who's blood had ruined his tablecloth. His date was helping him apply pressure to the wound. The gentleman to his left was gazing off into the distance like he was having a particularly pleasant daydream.

The thieves didn't look about to take orders from Lex. Whirling his hostage around as though dancing with her, the leader hurried from the building with his accomplices. The doors were slammed shut behind them.

"I'll call an ambulance," someone declared as people began to crawl out from under their tables, apparently having found the money they'd dropped. Lois heard a chair scraping across the floor as Lionel hurried over to attend to his son. Martha followed, staying a comfortable distance away so as not to crowd Lex.

"I'm fine," Lex snapped irritably. He turned to look at his father with cold eyes. He spoke in a whisper, but Lois still managed to hear the words. "It was you, wasn't it?"

She didn't managed to catch Lionel's response. Someone was trying to calm the room down and take charge of the situation. For a moment she thought it was Bruce, but when she looked around, she saw that he had disappeared…

888

The stars sprinkled silent concern across the city of Metropolis as Bruce stepped out into the night. Their illumination was however, strictly unnecessary. Artificial light pushed back the shadows across the littered streets. It seemed to be trying to say that this was a place of safety, where crime did not belong.

Bruce wasn't fooled. And now a situation he did not want to be involved in had managed to complicate itself further. The police would establish a perimeter, but he knew the getaway had been clean. It would be a lot easier if this were Gotham. His turf, his advantage. Still, he knew what his next move was. His attempt to acquire the journal as Bruce Wayne had failed. Now it was up to Batman.

888

From his position outside Lex's room, Clark could tell it smelled of dried fruit. He could also see Lana was talking with Lex, and he resisted listening in. It wasn't easy, but he had successfully spent much of his life not looking through Lana's clothes. He had a will of iron.

"Was anybody else hurt?" Clark asked. Lionel had a hand on his mother's shoulder, and he was making a point of not saying anything about it.

"No sweetie, the police say they dumped their hostage a few blocks away from the auction. She's terrified, but she'll be fine."

"Are you okay?"

"Don't worry, son. Your mother's made of tough stuff," said Lionel.

"I'm alright. Are you going to go in and see Lex?" Martha asked him.

"And say what? I'm just here for you and Lana. She wanted to come and see him after she heard what happened. She's a good friend," said Clark.

"Yes, he's lucky he has that," said Lionel. "Losing your friendship was a huge blow to him, you know."

"So what exactly was this book that was stolen?" asked Clark, keen to change the subject.

"A journal. It chronicled an archaeological dig out in the Kalahari desert."

"What? Why would anybody steal that?"

"For that matter, why would something like that be at an auction in the first place? You can't just sell something like that, surely," said Martha.

"Except the findings were deemed unfit for publication to the world at large. The group never finished the dig. Instead, they found something they weren't looking for."

"Like what?" asked Clark. Lionel looked at him carefully.

"I'm not entirely certain. Most of what I heard about it is only speculation. Lex could probably tell you more than I can."

"Three people were prepared to kill to get their hands on it. Lex was prepared to pay tens of thousands of dollars for it. I want some answers."

"You do know more than you're telling, don't you?" Martha asked, stepping away from Lionel and joining her son. Lionel sighed.

"When the journal was recovered, it was thought largely irrelevant. There are three specific areas of interest. The first is to do with the fate of the team. Seven people headed out, and only two returned. One of them has since gone missing, the other went mad. Reports of what actually happened were vague and conflicting. That book may hold the key to finding out what went wrong. The second is a description – alleged description, anyway – of a strange creature resembling a… Chimaera, a monster from Greek mythology. A mix of a lion, goat and snake."

"A Chimaera?" repeated Clark. This was making less and less sense.

"I don't know any details. Only select information was revealed, to try and create interest in the sale of the journal. If we knew everything, no-one would need to buy it."

"So what's the third thing?"

"Mr Luthor, Lex is asking to see you," said Lana, hurrying towards them. Lionel gave an apologetic smile and left them where they were.

"How's he doing?" asked Martha.

"The bullet didn't hit any arteries. He's lucky. Or as lucky as you can call someone who's been shot."

"Want me to see you home?" asked Clark.

"Thanks. But what about you and Mrs Kent?"

"I'm checked into a hotel for the evening," said Martha.

"I'll probably just drive back," said Clark, who meant run, since his truck was back in Smallville.

"Clark, it'll be dawn before you get home. There's room for you with me and Chloe. I mean, not much, but we can get by."

"Uh, sure," said Clark. "You going to be alright, mom? I don't like to just leave you…"

"I'll be fine, Clark," she said, kissing his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

888

Arm in a sling, Lex swung his legs around to sit on the edge of his bed. Lionel's face showed no concern whatsoever. He thought he now had a fair idea of what was going on here. Certainly he knew more than he'd told Martha and Clark. And more than he planned to let Lex know, at least for now.

"You see where these little obsessions of yours get you, Lex?"

"When I get in your way, you mean?"

"I've told you before, I have no interest in that journal. I never even placed a bid for it."

"Because you never needed to."

Pausing to brush some imaginary dust from the side of the bed, Lionel sat down next to his son.

"Does this really seem like my style, son?"

"Maybe not, but I doubt Bruce Wayne hired anyone to pull that stunt."

Nodding agreement, Lionel leaned closer to Lex. His son looked slightly pale, but otherwise as strong as ever.

"Someone else then?" whispered Lionel.

"You have an idea?"

Oh yes, Lionel thought but didn't say. He had a very good idea who'd hired those three. He knew it wasn't him, and no way was it Wayne. Wayne appeared very anti-crime, just like his parents. It could potentially have been a random thief. The book would attract way too much attention to sell onto any market, but it could potentially be sold directly to either Lex or Bruce for a tidy sum. Cutting out the middle man.

It could be that, but it wasn't. Because Lex had set the whole thing up. Getting shot was a rather drastic move, designed to eliminate suspicion. It had almost been enough. But Lionel could read his son well, and when the hostage had been taken he'd understood Lex's protest. That hadn't been part of the plan.

"I'll leave it up to the police, I think. And to you. You won't be letting this go, of course," said Lionel.

"Of course. No-one steals from a Luthor, be it a pen or a fortune," said Lex.

Lionel chuckled, absently running his hand through his beard. Lex had the book, and that was fine. For now.

888

Lana drove Clark back to her apartment, allowing the silence between them on the way. He looked like he was deep in thought. Probably trying to make sense of it all. It was just him and his mom at home now; God forbid anything should happen to her.

"I guess when you said you were busy, you meant you were looking into Cyrus' death," she said finally. She felt slightly guilty – she'd thought Clark was avoiding her. It didn't make any sense, but he seemed afraid of being alone with her in a private place. No, she thought, that wasn't right. He seemed afraid of sleeping with her. And that's exactly what it was. Everything about him screamed that he wanted to, but he was afraid. But of what? The night they'd spent together had been beyond wonderful. The culmination of years of passion, desire finally given in to. Clark had been a gentle lover, but even then he'd done things she never would have imagined him capable of. Just to think of it made her excited. He hadn't been scared at all then, that was for sure.

"Uh, yeah," said Clark, in that awkward voice she knew too well. The 'I don't want to lie, but I'm going to anyway' special.

"You could have just told me, Clark. I want to help."

"I know," said Clark, in a voice that told her he was miles away.

Chloe was gone when they got back; she'd left a message saying she was with Lois, and wouldn't see her until tomorrow. Looks like she and Clark would be spending the evening alone together after all.

"Do you think Chloe will mind if I sleep on her bed?" asked Clark.

"No, but… Clark, there's room for two in mine, you know."

"Uh…"

"Clark, I've told you, there's no pressure. I just want you to lie with me," she said. A voice rose in the back of her mind before she could kill it, adding 'Instead of lying to me'. Taking his hand, she pulled him backwards so he landed gently on top of her on the bed. Kissing him softly, she began to undo the buttons on his shirt.

"Lana…" began Clark, but Lana hushed him.

"Trust me, Clark."

Pulling his shirt away, tossing it aside, she sat back and removed her own top. Pressing herself against Clark, she allowed one of his hands to snake up, cupping her breast. His hand felt wonderfully warm, the skin smooth, not like she would expect a farmer's hand to feel at all. Clark kissed the nape of her neck, moving forwards and lying on top of her in a comfortable embrace.

888

Nervously, Clark brushed his hand against Lana's cheek. She smiled at him, and he knew he could trust her. He could read it in her body. It told him they would go as far as he wished, and no further. She was showing him her body, and telling him he could be comfortable with it. There was no reason for him to be afraid, she was saying. But there was. And he knew he couldn't take things as far as he would like. He had to stay in control.

Feeling Lana's chest rising rhythmically against his skin, he allowed himself to calm down. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her breast. She looked beautiful beneath him, stunningly innocent… though still waters ran deep. We could do it, he thought. I can be careful.

No, said a voice in his head, one of the unfortunate thoughts running in a hamster wheel in his mind. Who knows what could happen?

It could be wonderful.

It could be a disaster.

Lana's chest had stopped rising. He realised it almost immediately after the steady rhythm broke, and it took only a moment longer to realise something was terribly wrong.

"Lana?" he called, near panic. He was using his super-hearing and couldn't find a heartbeat.

A strange light fell across them, illuminating Lana's pretty face. Her eyes were closed and her face had frozen in ecstasy. Clark tried to move, and found he couldn't. Slowly he was pulled upwards, pulled away from her. He tried to reach down, but in that moment a flash of light forced him to close his eyes. Then he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Clark was flying. Beneath him, an orange glow from the streetlights flickered on and off, as if they were all breaking down at once. The sounds of the city around him appeared diminished somehow. His body was travelling of it's own accord, merely a case being transported somewhere against it's will. A destination seemed to be programmed inside his mind, though he had no idea what it was.

(Lana, I have to get back to…)

His mother. He was at home in Smallville. His mother was looking at him with some concern, and it took him a moment to get his bearings. He was lying on the couch, and it was late afternoon.

(No, it's the middle of the night…)

Around him was

(metal, cold hard metal, looks like a kind of prison cell)

the familiar walls of his home, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He tried to sit up, but found himself falling backwards.

"Don't try to move, Clark. You're not well," said his mother, her voice seeming to travel a thousand miles before it reached his ears. He felt terribly weak, disoriented even.

"Mom? What's going on? Lana –"

"Lana's fine. It's you we have to worry about."

Wiping his brow with a wet cloth, his mother looked at him with undisguised curiosity.

"I was just in Metropolis…"

"You have a fever. You've been saying all kinds of crazy things, Clark. Focus on what's real. Focus on my voice."

"Where's Lana?"

"This isn't working, Clark. You're dying. You have to help me. Where's the ship? Where is the ship that brought you to Earth?"

"Lana…"

"Where is it!?" said his mother, raising her voice.

"Mom, the ship wsn… wssss… was destroyed. Don't you remember? Killed the baby… so sorry… all muh, muh… my fault…"

His vision was becoming blurry, but for a moment he thought he saw contempt in his mother's eyes.

"And Jor-El? Was he destroyed with it?"

"He's in the fortress…"

"Fortress? Well, I'll know soon enough. I think you're ready now."

She reached forwards,

(wrong something wrong with her don't let her touch you don't let)

hand resting on his forehead for a moment. Then Clark's body convulsed with pain. He screamed in agony as his mother let out a cry of triumph… only for it to be cut short. She gasped, recoiling backwards, looking at him with surprise.

"But it can't be… With the kryptonite… Of course, the yellow son… I should have considered that. No matter. I still saw your mind, and that has revealed to me a weakness greater than this rock. Yes, I know exactly how to break you, Kryptonian."

Clark tried to fight back the agony he was feeling. It felt like every cell in his body had just been attacked by some terrible power. Fortunately, it faded quickly, as did the memory of it. If it hadn't, it would surely have driven him insane. As coherency began to return to him, he noticed the TV flickering on and off. An image began to appear, and his mother spun on her heel to look at it. He saw a grimace of fear strike her features, and then his father's face was displayed on the screen.

"Dad?" he asked, unable to believe his eyes.

"He thinks I am Jor-El?" asked Jonathan.

"No, he sees you as his adopted father," said Martha, bowing her head slightly.

"I have no time for these games, woman. You have the Kryptonian in your possession. You will now turn him over to me, as per our agreement."

"No! Not yet. I need more time. I promise, as soon as I am finished he will be given to you. Alive, as agreed."

"My people grow restless. I have promised them that they will see their first Kryptonian in over two decades. I have no intention of disappointing them. Frankly, your latest creations were pathetic. They provided no sport at all. "

"Forgive me. It is difficult to create specimens powerful enough to meet your needs on this primitive planet," said Martha, almost down on her knees now. Clark could see she was trembling slightly. His instincts were to try and comfort her, but he could barely keep awake. He thought he was dying.

"There will be no excuses. Remember, your survival depends as much on you turning the Kryptonian over to me as it does breathing the air around you. If you do not, then you shall take his place," said Jonathan, glaring at her.

"I-I understand. You will have him, I swear it."

The image on the screen disappeared, and Clark's mother rose slowly.

"We'll meet again soon, Kryptonian," she said, almost sneering at the last word. Pressing her hand on the table, hitting some invisible object only she could see, a second light engulfed Clark and everything around him melted away.

888

He was back in bed with Lana. She lay with her head pressed against him, a glorious expression of peace on her face. Remembering something with a moment of panic, he adjusted his hearing and heard the wonderfully tuneful sound of her heart beating. It had been a dream. Lana was all right, and here she was, her wonderfully smooth skin pressed against his own exposed body. He kissed her mouth, softly so as not to wake her. He wouldn't have woken her for anything; she looked so happy just to be with him. A distant part of his mind held other dreams; dreams of pain, dreams of his father. He let them fade. He'd dreamt of his father often since his death, and at times recognising these were just dreams brought with it fresh grief.

Wrapping his arm around Lana's slender waist, he stared at the ceiling and smiled. He wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

888

A spider was crawling up and down the wall of Ethan's prison cell. It allowed itself to go up only so far before it apparently changed it's mind and went back down again. It was moving, but making absolutely no progress at all.

Ethan could relate.

It wasn't surprising to him that Lionel had seemingly found religion in here. Apart from the occasional spider, there was precious little else to find. Apart from the odd drifter offering you a freedom you never thought you'd see again. It made no sense to him at all. He'd known Edward during what he increasingly thought of as his real life, before he'd tried to kill Luthor and wound up in here. He'd been little more than a boy then, all skin and bones. But when Ethan had interviewed him, he'd known he was dealing with someone possessing a sharp mind. The kid hadn't even needed his lawyer. He'd known exactly how to deal with the situation. The case hadn't made it to court. Ethan had been certain of his guilt, was sure the kid had tried to commit a murder. Proving it had been another matter.

That kid was a man now, and Ethan found himself unsure what to make of him. His persona was likeable enough, and that scared the former Sheriff. He shouldn't like Edward at all; every instinct he held as a lawman told him that. All the evidence pointed at that. But something of his charisma drew you towards him. It was worrying, especially when you saw behind his eyes. Smallville had been a quiet little town once upon a time. But along the way, something about the place changed. Some blamed the Luthor's, others the meteor shower. Whatever it was, something had happened that had made Ethan's quaint little posting in the town turn into increasing dealings with psychopaths. He'd had to look in the eyes of killers and madmen. And behind Edward's eyes he saw a little fire just waiting to burn.

The worst part was, he didn't think Edward knew it was there.

His cell door opened. Two warders glared at him. There were fires behind their eyes too, spread from the criminals to them. Sometimes happened if you stuck around them too long. One day, he thought, someone would push them just a little too far, and they'd retaliate just that little too hard…

"The governor wants to see you," one of them said gruffly.

They escorted him across the block, eyes never leaving him for a moment. Ethan already knew what to expect. The governor wouldn't be there; Edward would be. He'd explain that a friend pulled a few favours, as if that explained anything.

When Edward wasn't there, Ethan was genuinely surprised. Instead the governor greeted him, made a little small talk, and told him he was free to go. This was when Ethan realised he'd gone completely crazy. There was no Edward, never had been. It had all been one big delusion. And he wasn't being released, of course. No way. He'd lost his mind. There was something else to find other than God in here. There was insanity.

Except an hour later, he was outside the prison walls. Edward was there waiting for him, greeting him warmly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Sunshine feels good when you're a free man, doesn't it?" said Edward, grinning at him.

"But… this is impossible. How did you do it?"

"I didn't do it alone, Sheriff. You'll meet her soon, and everything will change then. Before you do though, I think it's time I started filling you in on a few things. Over breakfast. My treat. I know a place nearby. Coffee tastes like sht, but the food beats what you get in there, believe me."

"Three times," said Ethan, swaying on the spot as Edward marched forwards. "You said you'd come three times. I didn't say I'd help you yet."

"Free will is a wonderful thing, Sheriff, but often an illusion. We're free to make a choice, yet bound to the nature that determines what choice we make. Our first two meetings, I learned what I needed to know. Now, you can walk off on your own if you like. I'll never contact you again, and I won't send the cops after you either. But I think you'll come with me, and I think we'll talk about Lionel, about justice… about a lot of things. Then I think you'll help me. At least, I hope you will," said Edward. He looked grave for a moment, then smiled. "Also, I have a car. It's a long way to go without one of those."

888

The country roads sped past in a blur, one tree merging into another as Chloe drove to follow a lead for Clark. Inevitably, he'd gotten himself involved in the whole journal mystery. Less inevitably, Lois was involved too, and she sat in the passenger seat, playing around with Chloe's radio despite her explicit instructions.

"Are you really sure you want to be here, Lois? I mean, we have no idea what this guy's going to be like."

"They let him out of the hospital, didn't they? He's officially not crazy anymore."

Funny how Lois hadn't taken that view when Alicia Baker had been released. Perhaps she'd learned something from that. Anyway, it wasn't him Chloe was worried about; rather, it was Lois. Specifically, Lois' lack of tact. She could well imagine her breaking the ice with "So, you're officially not crazy anymore! How's that working out?" Still, she supposed she had a right to come along. She'd been there when the journal had been stolen, giving her more involvement than anyone else at the moment.

The man they were looking for was named Sam Mitchell, and he'd been part of the excavation crew out in the desert. The large metal fence barring the way to his front door told Chloe he was a man who nowadays appreciated privacy. He was, in that regard, about to be introduced to two of his least favourite people in the entire world.

"So do we climb over, squeeze through the bars, what?" asked Lois, glaring at the obstacle like she expected it to move out of her way.

"I find pressing the buzzer is usually a good first try," said Chloe, raising an eyebrow. "If that fails, you know, we could always borrow one of The General's rocket launchers or…"

"Point taken," said Lois sulkily.

Holding the button down, Chloe heard an incomprehensible noise on the other end.

"Er… sorry?"

"He asked you to state your business. He's also not buying anything," said Lois. Noticing the look on Chloe's face, she added: "I got used to radio communication at the barrack's. You develop an ear for this kind of thing."

"Hello?" asked Chloe. "I'm a reporter from The Daily Planet. I'm here investigating the excavation you were a part of six years ago."

No response on the other end at all. Lois pulled a face at her.

"Way to go, Chloe. I'm sure he moved way out here in the middle of nowhere so reporters could show up and talk to him about the thing that, you know, drove him crazy?"

"I wasn't finished," said Chloe, not looking at her. She had, in fact, paused for effect. She was also starting to wish Pete were here instead of Lois, but he was back in Smallville. It would probably be Lana's party (or as Clark insisted 'social gathering') before she saw him. He'd be helping, not making smart-as remarks. Actually, what was she thinking? He'd be just as bad. "Are you aware that Rebecca's journal was recently stolen?"

She stepped away from the intercom, hoping this information would be enough. Of course, she supposed, he would likely come back on saying "mphmttaphmmhmm" which Lois would translate as "Yeah I heard, it's all over the news, Lex Luthor got shot while it happened, now clear off." But she was hoping, isolated as he was, that he didn't necessarily keep up to date with current events. It was instinct she was operating on, and fortunately it paid off.

The gate opened. She exchanged a glance with Lois and they both strode up the garden path. The grass was overgrown and weeds were scattered periodically about the place. Ivy was crawling along the walls of the building itself. The place was creepy, and suddenly Chloe was glad Lois had come along. She certainly wasn't as strong as Clark, but she would have trusted Lois with her life all the same. The front door opened as they advanced, and standing there was a balding man with a thin moustache. He wore a pair of oversized glasses that he probably thought made him look intellectual (though Chloe thought it a rule of thumb that the lenses probably shouldn't extend past your eyebrows).

"Mr Mitchell?"

"Show me your ID," he said simply.

Waving her press card in his face, Chloe was pleased when he ushered them inside. If he'd asked to see Lois', they'd have had a problem. It was simpler to allow him to believe Lois worked at The Planet as well.

The interior was kept much tidier than outside, she noticed, taking a seat opposite Sam. There was no sofa and no other chairs in sight, so Lois instead propped herself on the armrest. Sam regarded the pair for a moment.

"You said the journal was stolen? Rebecca's parents kept it in a safe. It's location was a secret."

Chloe and Lois shared a look between them.

"Uh, I hate to tell you, but last night about fifty people were looking at that thing. Her parents put it up for auction," said Lois.

"We don't know that," added Chloe quickly. "We don't know who the seller was. We do know it was stolen from under everyone's noses."

"None of that makes any sense," said Sam. "It isn't worth anything."

"A lot of people seem to disagree. Including Lex Luthor. He bid on the journal and got shot during the theft."

"That's insane. Rebecca's journal… forgive me for speaking ill of the dead, but it's nonsense. None of the things mentioned there actually happened."

"But those people did die."

"As a result of a cave-in. We found an underground cavern and… Look, I don't want to revisit this."

"Where does the Chimaera come into it?" asked Lois suddenly.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's true that there were… some sort of scavengers that attacked us, but nothing like that. We didn't even get a good look at them."

"Is that what you told them to keep them happy?" pressed Lois. Chloe would have preferred a slightly more subtle approach.

"Told who?" asked Sam irritably.

"The people in the psych ward."

Sam began rubbing his forehead, taking his glasses off as he did so.

"Listen to me," he said slowly. "I walked away after watching colleagues – some of them close friends – die. It was a terrifying ordeal. The things that happened were bad enough without adding the things that girl imagined. Her parents stored that journal away because they knew the contents were crazy. I can't imagine they'd ever have let anyone look at it, never mind sell it. I'm sorry it's theft will cause them distress, but the book is worthless to those thieves. Now I'm going to ask you both to leave before I call the police."

Chloe stood up to her full height, which was not a terribly imposing figure.

"Just answer one question. One question and we'll leave," she said. Sam nodded and waved for her to get on with it. "Lionel Luthor told us that there were three main points of interest in the journal. One was the deaths, one was the monsters… what's the third?"

"Well, I guess the third would be the strange writings we found in that cavern. I can tell you that that much at least, is true. Rebecca scribbled down what we saw into her journal. Never made any sense of it though. Never thought much of it myself, although a young boy found something similar a few years back…"

"Clark Kent," gasped Chloe.

"Good memory," said Sam. "Yeah, I can't be totally certain, but the writings on the caves he found looked pretty similar to me."

888

Back in the comfort of his mansion, Lex carefully removed the journal from it's hiding place. He ran his good hand down the front of it almost lovingly. Much of it was nonsense; he'd wasted a good deal of time reading about the girl Rebecca's feelings for another member of the team, but he'd ended up very satisfied with what he'd got. He was starting to think stealing had been unnecessary, since he thought it worth almost a hundred times what he'd bid on it.

Opening it again, he found the pages containing the writings that matched the language on the walls of the Kowatchi Caves. He'd spent years trying to decipher those mysteries, and finally the answers looked to be within his grasp.


	6. Chapter 6

Note to Gabrielle Jacobs: Ah. I guess the clue would be that you generally don't teleport across town during or after sex, unless I've been greatly misinformed (or unless it was Clark and Alicia). In all the places I posted this story, you're the first to point it out, so thank you. I'll probably go back and change it at some point, since it's a big mistake that can be fixed with a few quick edits.

888

"Bart? What's going on? Talk to me."

From his chair next to the main console in the Batcave, Batman was beginning to wish he had a visual feed showing him what was going on. Bart Allen was almost assuredly the fastest man in the world, and the fact that he was taking so long to report back did not bode well. For someone so fast, it should have been an easy job.

Still, Batman resented having to use the kid. Typically, he preferred working alone. Infiltrating the Luthor mansion was certainly not a task beyond him, but he felt it unwise to take chances. He cursed the fact that he'd tried to obtain the journal as Bruce Wayne. Now any direct move made as Batman would provide a possible means to identify the two as one and the same. He would die before allowing that to happen.

Which was why he'd turned to Bart. The kid was not someone he would usually have chosen to work with; however, his skills would certainly come in handy. Not to mention Bart owed him a favour.

"Well, it doesn't happen very often, but it looks like someone beat me to it," said Bart finally, his tone unusually serious. "The security guards are all unconscious, and the whole mansion's been turned upside down."

"Any sign of Lex?"

"No, he's not here. I scouted the area too; no sign of the perps though."

"Have you checked for the book?" asked Batman.

"What's the point, man? If it was here, it's gone now. I'm telling you, they looked everywhere."

"Exactly," said Batman, noting the arrival of his butler and friend, Alfred. Alfred waited with carefully measured patience as Bruce continued. "Either the journal was in the absolute last place they looked, or they didn't find it. The later seems more likely."

"So what? You're saying it isn't here after all?"

"The Luthor Mansion no doubt has all kinds of hiding places. You're going to have to get creative."

Leaving Bart to it for a moment, Batman turned his microphone off and turned his head, nodding for Alfred to speak.

"He can't hear us. What is it, Alfred?"

"There are a couple of reporters upstairs, Master Bruce, from The Daily Planet. They're asking to speak with you."

"Why didn't you just send them away?"

"They were… very insistent, sir. I caught them trying to sneak in. Miss Lane says she met you last night. She says you got on rather well, sir," said Alfred, rather meaningfully.

"First off, I never even spoke to Lois Lane last night. Secondly, she isn't a reporter. She works for Senator Kent."

"What would you like me to do?"

Batman considered for a moment.

"Send them in. Tell them I'll join them shortly."

"Very good, sir," said Alfred, bowing slightly and going to attend to the matter. Switching his microphone back on, he returned to the matter at hand.

"What's taking so long? I thought you were fast?"

He heard Bart muttering under his breath, but didn't quite catch the words.

"Yeah, and I'm finding nothing REALLY fast," he said afterwards.

"Slow down and think before you act," snapped Batman irritably. "It's probably stored behind a trick wall. There'll be a mechanism hidden somewhere to open it. Try to find it."

"Well, where exactly would it be, genius?"

"Start at his desk. And we're going to cover every inch of the place, again and again if need be, so get started."

"We're just wasting time, here, you know? There's no way he's keeping it here, and… oh sht!"

"What is it? What's happening?" asked Batman, tensing.

"I think I found it… yeah here it is. As well as…"

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. I got what I came for."

"Good work. Leave the compartment open. It'll look suspicious if the thieves tried to cover their tracks there but nowhere else. We want it to look like one robbery attempt, not two. I'll meet you at our arranged rendezvous point shortly," said Batman.

888

Time was fast running out, Clark knew. Lana's birthday was right around the corner, and with one thing or another he still hadn't found the time to get her gift. Fortunately Chloe had apparently changed her mind, taking pity on him and offering the name of a little shop in Metropolis Lana visited from time to time. When he arrived at the address, at first he thought he'd made a mistake. The building he was looking at was ancient, the stone worn and weathered. It certainly didn't look anything like he'd expected. Not the sort of place Lana would go at all

Entering apprehensively, the interior didn't exactly reassure him either. The place looked rather uninspiring; the goods an assortment of random jewellery, perfumes and bric-a-brac. It looked like the stuff belonged on a stall somewhere, and was undeserving of an entire store to itself. The most eye-catching thing in the place was the amount of dust gathering on the counter. There was also no visible sign of anyone, either customer or salesperson. His super-hearing however, told him that there was someone in the back room at least.

He took a quick look around, wondering what had ever possessed Chloe to send him here, and soon realised he wasn't going to find anything. He turned to leave, but as he reached the exit he heard the door to the back room open. Turning again, he noticed a woman taking her place at the counter. She wore a beautiful crimson dress that was quite low at the neck. Long brown hair ran down her back, tied only at the very ends with a red band. A large mole on her cheek, rather than appear as a blemish, complimented her nicely. And she was quite beautiful, he realised dimly, although she appeared to be entering her declining years. He judged her as around forty years old; her face didn't necessarily show this, but her neck was becoming wrinkled and the flesh around it loose. Her smile was warm and friendly though, and made her look instantly ten years younger.

"Well, hello there," she said pleasantly. "I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting; I was doing some cleaning in the back. We don't usually get many customers this early, you see, so I took a chance. And look – I almost missed you!"

She shifted nervously, moistening her lips and brushing at her dress.

"Uh, I was just leaving," said Clark with an awkward shrug of the shoulders.

"Oh, that would be a shame. What was it you were looking for?"

"It's my girlfriend's birthday soon. I was a little low on ideas, so a friend recommended this place, but I really don't see…"

"Anything good enough?" she said, giggling. "Of course not. I keep the more expensive items in the back. In fact, I think I may have just the thing…"

She gestured with a wave that he should follow, and he did, mostly out of politeness. She certainly seemed nice enough, but he wasn't convinced she knew much about running a business. It was amazing the place was still going.

"I should probably…" he began, stopping as he saw what was in front of him. There was a wealth of items here, most of them far more eye catching that what he'd seen in the main part of the store. But nothing could compare to the necklace stored in a glass case on the other side of them room. Clark was drawn to it instantly. It was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. Lana deserved to have it. He felt utterly certain that such a thing had been created just for her. It looked to be made of silver, and a pendant hung from it. In the centre was a small purple jewel. It all looked very expensive though. He couldn't possibly afford something like that unless, in the words of Pete, he 'went Kal on an ATM machine'.

"How much is that?" he asked, thinking she would laugh at him for even asking.

"It's free for you, of course. As long as you make sure Lana Lang wears it the day of her birthday. I went to a not inconsiderable amount of effort to make it for her. The necklace itself will be her gift from you. What it does will be my gift."

"She wore a necklace after her parents died. It was made from one of the meteor rocks. This one is much prettier though," said Clark in a tired voice.

"And much less deadly for you, I imagine," she said. Clark reached out to take it, but she grabbed his wrist, stopping him. "Remember, Clark; she has to put it on right away."

"Of course," said Clark, completely unaware that everything about this was completely wrong. As far as he was aware, they were making polite conversation about how much he cared for his girl, and haggling over the price. He was pleasantly surprised that, with just a little persuasion, he might be able to afford it.

"Excellent. Take it then," she said, removing it from it's case and placing it firmly in his hand.

"Thanks a lot," said Clark, smiling at her.

888

The smell of fried food beat the smell of sweat and stale air prison any day, thought Ethan as he tucked in to a late breakfast. What he wasn't so sure of was the company. In jail, you expected some bstard to try and hurt you at some point. Edward was less predictable. He certainly charmed the waitress, who regarded Ethan as the scum of the earth. At first he thought she recognised him, but Edward pointed out that he looked positively dreadful.

"Nothing a shave and a bath won't fix," said Edward, flicking through a newspaper someone had abandoned.

"Except sooner or later someone will recognise me. We're far enough from Smallville that we don't have to worry about the folks there, but someone's going to recognise the guy that… you know…" said Ethan, keeping his voice low.

"Tried to kill Lionel Luthor?" whispered Edward with a half-smile. "Lots of people have done that, my friend. And believe me, your face isn't so special that it's going to stand out."

"Nevertheless, it's only a matter of time. People are going to hear that I'm out. Lionel's going to hear," said Ethan, looking around as though he might be there right now.

"Relax," said Edward. "Things are going to be fine. We're not in this alone, Sheriff."

"You keep on saying that," said Ethan, taking a mouthful of coffee and swishing it round his mouth. It didn't take great, but it helped wash out the strange cottony taste that had been there since his release.

"I can't say too much more. Not just yet. I made a mistake or two in the past. Trusted people I shouldn't have. Need approval before I let you in on everything. There's plenty I can tell you though, so enjoy breakfast and I'll fill you in on the drive."

"Drive where?" asked Ethan as Edward picked up his newspaper. It was only now that Ethan noticed the headline: Lex Luthor Shot During Theft. Not exactly clever, but it got the message across. Apparently he hadn't been hurt too seriously though. Ethan wasn't sure how he felt about that. The younger Luthor hadn't given him too much trouble during his stay in Smallville – at least, not directly - but he was still Lionel's son. Jonathan certainly hadn't trusted him one bit.

"Oh, I'm staying at a motel on the outskirts of Metropolis. And now, so are you. It's not ideal, but I guess you're rather less fussy than you used to be, partner."

Once the pair finished breakfast, Ethan took the front passenger seat in the car as Edward got behind the wheel. As the youth sat down, his coat moved sufficiently to allow Ethan to see a gun concealed underneath. Ethan tried to hide the fact that he'd noticed, but Edward winked at him immediately.

"Don't worry Sheriff; I'm very responsible," he said, starting the engine. He headed out to the east, some awful heavy metal music blaring. Much to Ethan's irritation. But damned if it didn't feel good to be out again. And soon Lionel would pay. Not just for what he'd done to him - he had to take his own share of the blame there – but for what the man had done to lots of good people over the years. Whatever Edward told him, Lionel was going down. Prison couldn't hold him, but the grave would.

888

"Ladies," said Bruce, entering the sitting area of his mansion where Chloe and Lois were both standing under the watchful gaze of Alfred. His old friend had known better than to let them walk around freely. Not that they would have been able to find much. Lex's mansion didn't even begin to compare when it came to hiding things. "What can I do for you?"

"Mr Wayne, thank you for seeing us. We're with The Daily Planet, investigating the theft of Rebecca's journal."

"Well, you might work for the planet, Miss Sullivan," said Bruce in an even tone. "But Lois Lane most assuredly does not."

Chloe shared an embarrassed look with her cousin, who stepped forwards.

"You had me checked out or something?" she said.

"If you associate with the likes of Lionel Luthor, you're going to have to get used to people knowing who you are."

Lois opened her mouth to say something, then took a breath and looked at him.

"Wait a minute… you think I was his date!?"

Bruce allowed himself to show a slight smirk, something he never did when the mask was on.

"Well, I think you're more his type than Senator Kent," he said.

"If we could get back on track here…" said Chloe, refusing to be ignored.

"Of course," said Bruce, turning into the gracious host and gesturing for them to sit. He sat in his chair by the fireplace, resting his arms on the sides. He took a moment to check out Lois Lane again, this time with his eyes. She gave a slight snort in disgust and he chuckled. In truth, he found Chloe the more appealing of the two, but figured Lois was used to getting the most attention. Batman kept to himself, but it was important to show Bruce as somewhat of a womaniser. Parts of it were an act, although there were certainly… benefits to being Bruce Wayne.

"We're wondering why exactly you were bidding on the journal in the first place. We talked to Sam Mitchell, who survived the expedition chronicled in it, and found out about Lex's interest. The writings in the journal match those in The Kawatchi Caves, which Lex has studied for years. But what's your interest?" said Chloe.

"On or off the record here, Miss Sullivan?" asked Bruce, trying to take the measure of the girl. Pretty, yes, but she also seemed to be smart. He couldn't afford to get caught in a lie.

"Off," she said, after a moment's hesitation.

"One of the people on the expedition was an employee of mine, and an old friend of my father's," lied Bruce smoothly. He didn't doubt that Chloe would look into that, and what she found would only confirm it. He'd been very thorough.

"You want to find out what really happened to him?"

"I know none of those people died in a cave-in," said Bruce carefully.

"How do you know that?" asked Lois, her curiosity apparently overcoming what Bruce recognised was a natural dislike of him.

"Because I went there, some time after it happened. The place was completely undisturbed," he said.

"So what do you think happened?" asked Chloe, leaning forwards in her seat.

Bruce shrugged.

"I have no idea. All I found was one sheet of paper, torn from Rebecca's journal."

Lois' eyes widened. That wasn't really all he'd found, but he had no intention of letting them know about the rest. He knew Sullivan, while working to become a credible journalist, had a history of investigating stories best described as weird. He considered this information nonsense, but better to send them off investigating a worthless thread than a potentially dangerous one.

"That's right. They never mentioned it at auction, but the journal was incomplete. Whoever stole it is missing one page."

"What does it say?" asked Chloe.

"A lot of the writing matches the symbols on the walls in The Kowatchi Caves," said Bruce. "At the side of the page though, someone has written what looks to be a translation. Unfortunately, I have no idea how accurate it is. It sounds like nonsense to me."

"Do you plan on telling us?" pressed Chloe.

"Why not? It says "Kandor: Capital City of United Krypton," said Bruce. And although she hid her reaction very quickly, it was still enough to tell Bruce that she'd heard of Krypton before…


	7. Chapter 7

The day of Lana's birthday came at last, and Clark had no memory of the strange circumstances under which he had acquired her gift. It was stored in a box, small enough to fit into his pocket but large enough that she wouldn't mistake it for an engagement ring. For a brief moment, he thought sadly about how she would never see the ring he had intended for her… how he would, in fact, now never make that ring. However, today was not a day for looking back and regretting. It was a day to celebrate with the girl he loved, now and forever. Lana would never remember the day he proposed, so instead he would have to create new, special memories for her.

So far, everything was going well. Nell called to say that she and Dean would be there for the party (Nell apparently did not envision it being any less than such, regardless of what Lana might tell her). And to Clark's secret delight, Lex had cancelled his lunch with Lana.

"He never said what the problem was," she said as Clark drove them to the restaurant he had booked. "He sounded really stressed out on the phone."

"It's been a difficult few days," said Clark, who felt some kind of response was necessary. He parked his truck a little away from the restaurant; he wondered if his father had ever been slightly embarrassed at taking his mother out in Metropolis in it. It strongly suggested that you couldn't afford to eat there. And the place he'd booked was pretty fancy; he knew it was one of Lana's favourites. Nowhere so grand as Lex Luthor might take her, but Lana seemed to be pleased.

"You want to know something?" Lana asked they took their seats at a table next to the window. "Even though I'm really looking forward to seeing everybody tonight, part of me wishes it could just be the two of us. I'm glad we're getting to have dinner alone, anyway."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Clark. In the dimness of the restaurant, Lana looked radiant. They held hands across the table, looking at each other with longing and genuine affection. Even the couple rowing two tables over couldn't entirely ruin the effect. "Truth is, I'm a little worried about seeing Nell after all this time."

"Don't worry Clark," said Lana with a smile. "Nell can be pretty intimidating, but I'll be there to protect you."

Clark laughed, but then spoke seriously. "I'm glad. I guess I'd better keep you on side, so how about I give you your present?"

Lana brightened as Clark produced the box from his pocket and sat it down in front of her.

"What is it?" she asked, hand hovering over it.

"Open it and see," said Clark.

A smile crossed Lana's face as she popped open the lid and saw the necklace curled inside. She lifted the necklace for closer inspection, twirling it in her hand; the reflection of the purple jewel caught her eyes.

"Clark, it's beautiful. It must have cost… it's too much, really," she said, sounding both delighted and hesitant at the same time.

"Not for you," said Clark, although when he tried to remember how much it had cost, he wasn't entirely certain. "Of all the girls I've ever known, you're definitely in the top… oh, eleven or twelve."

"I'm honoured," giggled Lana, still with the necklace in her hand. Clark felt an uncharacteristic moment of irritation.

"Aren't you going to put it on?" he asked, more sharply than intended. Lana didn't seem to notice though.

"Give me a hand," she said, pushing her hair up while Clark picked up the necklace and attached it at the back of her neck. Leaning in close as he did so, he picked up her wonderful scent; her perfume smelled great. He kissed her on the side of the neck and she brushed her cheek against his, finding his mouth with hers and giving him an open-mouthed kiss. His tongue ran along her bottom lip, and as it retreated he bit down gently, sucking on it. "Thanks, Clark."

"No problem," he said, retaking his seat as the waiter came over to take their order.

888

The one window in Harrison's room looked out onto a beautiful garden. Roses, red pink and white grew out of the soil at the back. Closer to the front was a large grassy area, littered with toys. A basketball lay discarded off to one side, and a bicycle was propped against the back wall. Harrison had never been in this garden, because it wasn't really there. There was no bike, no basketball, no grass; even the window itself was only an illusion, all created by his mother.

The table in front of him was real enough. Scattered across it were various shapes which he was trying to place in a prearranged pattern. The puzzle was known as a tangram, and Edward had introduced them to him. The idea was very simple – you had seven shapes which you placed together to form a predetermined pattern. They were the only thing he had to do here. He found he rather enjoyed them, though some of them were intensely difficult. Normally Edward dropped by from time to time to help him with these, but his mother had put an end to the visits. It made Harrison feel worse than ever, since he enjoyed Edward's company and the visits were one of few things he looked forward to.

There was a brief knock on the door that disturbed his concentration and Lenaria entered without awaiting his invite. It made sense, since this was her place, not his. He was merely a prisoner here. He was not at all sure where here was; only that his prison was a very small part of a very large place.

"And how are you today, son?"

"I'm fine, mom," he said, hesitating only slightly over the last word. The woman standing in front of him was not, of course, his mother. His real mother had died almost two months previously, shot in the head while he had hidden upstairs with his sister. That had been not long after his seventh birthday. The shooter, a middle-aged man with a twisted scar running down the left of his nose, had calmly walked upstairs after ending her life.

"She was infected," the man told the children who were trembling under the bed. He sounded like he was trying to justify the act, not to them, but to himself. "I'm going to have to take you both away from here."

Harrison had not met that man again, but he had soon met Edward, who had treated him well. Not at all like his fake mother, who switched between forced sweetness and horrible anger. She once made him watch as she hooked a man up to a strange machine and ran an electric current through him until his eyes had exploded. Harrison had not been able to finish a tangram for two days after that.

"This is what happens to people who betray me," she had told him in a sugar-sweet voice.

"When can I see Edward again?" he asked now. Despite her assurances, he was afraid she might have done something similar to him. Edward had agreed, after Harrison had pleaded with him for days, to deliver a letter to his sister. His dear 'mother' had found out somehow though, and had paced his room shouting furiously at him. She had even hurled a nearly finished tangram against the wall. She glared at him now for a moment like she might do something similar, before smiling.

"Edward likes you, you know. Edward likes everybody. Sometimes he gets misled – his loyalty should be to me, and me alone. But he is my favourite, and that is why I forgive him his little mistakes. However, it would not be wise to put him in a position where he could slip again. You won't be causing any more trouble."

"I want to see my sister," he said coldly. Just a few months ago, he could not ever have imagined challenging an adult in such a way, but that all felt a long time ago now.

"Soon. Once you have finished the task I set you, I will let you go," she said. He was sure this was a lie, but didn't say as such. Once he had outlived his usefulness, he was convinced she would either use him in one of her experiments or kill him. Picturing his eyes exploding, he suppressed a shudder of fear.

"I don't have that much power…"

"Power responds well to need," she said with a touch of irritation.

"Can't you just do it yourself?"

"I could, but it would be very draining, and I'm going to need all my strength for this one. Besides, you want to help your mother, don't you?"

"You're not my mother!" he shouted suddenly. Lenaria flinched slightly in surprise. He'd once asked Edward why she was so insistent on him calling her mother, and Edward explained that Lenaria was a telepath.

"But not just any telepath," Edward had said, as though telepathic people were the kind of folks you saw every day. "She comes from a race of people known as the Empireth. Every cell in an Empireth's body is telepathic. When they touch a person, they can absorb any pat of them; their powers, their DNA, even their memories. However, the process can be rather complex."

"What are you saying?" Harrison had asked fearfully.

"You're a bright boy; I think you already know. She absorbed the abilities your mother got from the meteor rocks, but she also took some of her memories. She has a machine she used to rid herself of some of them, to stop herself going insane, but some are too strong to remove entirely. In a way, your mother is still alive inside of her." Edward had placed a hand on his shoulder then, and smiled as if this were wonderful. Harrison hadn't thought it wonderful at all. He considered it an insult.

"I suggest you hold your tongue," said Lenaria in the present. "I've been very… accommodating to you so far. That can change, if need be. The tests I'm running on you do not necessarily require you to be in one piece."

Harrison shuddered against his will. All kinds of tests had been run on him during his stay here. Edward had explained that he was a special case.

"You are the only human Lenaria has ever touched and failed to absorb their abilities," he'd said. "The reason why is a mystery, but I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it."

"Yes, mother," said Harrison presently.

"There's my good boy. Now, let us begin. Focus your mind. Focus on becoming one with the weapon…"

888

Lana and Clark had such a good time over dinner that by the time they drove back to Clark's house everyone else was already there. At first no-one even noticed their arrival; Clark could see Chloe deep in urgent conversation with Pete, while his mother, who's social skills had increased massively during her time is Senator, was finding this didn't necessarily help when dealing with Nell. She was standing rather awkwardly in the corner next to her and her husband, Dean. Dean, in fact, was the only one talking.

"He likes to fill awkward silences," Lana explained. Upon seeing the couple arrive, Nell and Martha brightened up considerably.

Lana and Nell embraced and began talking excitedly. Clark was about to say hello to his mother when he noticed Chloe and Pete signalling him urgently. With a polite nod to Ma Kent he excused himself and joined his friends. He could see that Pete had had a few drinks and a more sober part of his brain was now trying to regain control.

"Clark, we need to talk to you right away," said Chloe, eyes stressing the importance of the situation. Turning to look at Lana, he saw her looking at him with some concern, and gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Chloe led him out the back door, Pete following closely. After Chloe checked to make sure they would not be overhead (Clark performed his own, far more thorough check using his abilities) she allowed herself the luxury of speech.

"Have you ever heard of somewhere called Kandor?" she asked.

"No," said Clark, brow furrowing. He looked to Pete who shrugged noncommittally. "Should I have?"

Pulling a scrap of paper from her pocket, she passed it to Clark. Scribbled on it was a group of symbols.

"I had to try and copy them from memory, so they might not be all that accurate," said Chloe. "Can you read what it says?"

"It says 'Kandor, Capital City of… United Krypton," said Clark. Chloe had copied some of the writing incorrectly, but still well enough that he could work it out. "I've never heard of it before, though. It would have been destroyed along with the rest of Krypton. Chloe, where did you find this? And how did you know what the first word was?"

"Lois and I looked into the theft of the journal. Actually, we just got back from Gotham earlier today. We were talking to Bruce Wayne about it, and it turns out he has a page torn from it. Someone copied that writing down from somewhere; next to it is a translation. Word for word exactly how you read it."

"So, what?" asked Pete. "You're saying Bruce Wayne can read Kryptonian?"

"No, but someone can," said Chloe. "Or could, anyway. If it was Rebecca or one of the others on the team, they're dead now."

"When Professor Waldon used the key from my ship, it downloaded the language into his brain," said Clark. "But it also rendered him catatonic for weeks."

"So maybe something similar happened six years ago…?"

"I don't know. It doesn't seem likely. We do know that I'm not the only Kryptonian who ever walked the Earth. Jor-El was sent here when he was younger, so I guess others probably were too. Maybe there was more than one site they visited."

"We need to check out the caves in the Kalahari desert. We interviewed the one survivor we could find, so I'll try and get him to give us the exact location."

She was about to continue, but stopped as Clark put a finger to his lips.

"What are you guys up to out here?" asked Lana, appearing at the door. "Geez, it's freezing."

"We were just heading back inside," said Clark, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Nell thought my necklace was beautiful, so I think you're in her good books, at least for tonight," said Lana, pausing to catch him with an extended kiss. When she pulled away, she turned to Pete. "Good to see you here, Pete. It's been way too long."

"Yeah, tell me about it," said Pete, smiling. "You're looking great. And I see you've got a new necklace… when did you get that?"

"About an hour ago, actually," said Lana. "It's from Clark."

"Then I want to know who helped him, cause no way he picked something that nice himself. Give me a minute and we can catch up properly – I think I hear a beer calling my name."

"I think Pete and booze are in love," said Chloe. As Lana turned to talk to Dean (who was dancing terribly to some awful music Nell had put on), Clark leant close to Chloe.

"That reminds me, thanks for the heads up. That place you told me about was great," he whispered.

"Uh, thanks, but what exactly are you talking about? I told you I wasn't going to help."

"Yeah, but then you called me and told me about that place Lana likes…"

"No, I didn't," she insisted. "Clark, I've been travelling all over the past couple of days chasing leads. I didn't give your gift buying problem so much as a thought."

"But… it was definitely you," said Clark, sounding uncertain. He never made mistakes about things like that. Chloe had called him, and he'd went straight there… he'd talked to the woman that worked there, and she'd shown him the necklace… and he couldn't remember much else. Trying to recall anything in any detail was like trying to catch fog in his hand. Which was impossible, since he had an almost perfect memory.

He resolved to see Lana, unsure exactly what he was planning to do. The memory loss was strange, yes, but not necessarily sinister. If you considered a near photographic memory one of his gifts, it wasn't as though those hadn't been affected before. And there seemed to be nothing wrong with the necklace; Lana was fine. But if Chloe hadn't told him about it, how had he found the store? That wasn't memory loss; that was like a memory had been inserted where one shouldn't be. It had unmistakably been Chloe's voice on the phone telling him about it.

"Clark, can I have a word?"

Clark didn't feel the cold like a normal person, but still felt the temperature in the room drop at Nell's voice. She stepped in front of him, arms folded, a scowl on her face.

"Hiya," said Clark. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"It's all very civilised," she replied. "Now, Clark, I want you to know I'm sorry about your father. He was a good man, and very special to me for a long time."

Clark nodded. It was something he was well aware of, but his father hadn't talked about. "Thanks."

"It makes this hard for me to say, but it needs to be said. I'm not happy with the way you treat Lana."

"Well, I appreciate Lana turns to you when we've had a fight…"

"It's more than that, Clark. Your behaviour was erratic long before your father died. I..."

"Nell!" shouted Lana. "How dare you talk to Clark like that!?"

"Lana…" began Nell calmly.

"No, Nell, there's no excuse. It's true that Clark and I have had our ups and downs. Maybe this is my fault for spending too much time telling you about our problems and not the good times. But he's a kind, sweet, beautiful man and we're getting married whether you like it or not."

A few shocked gasps were all that prevented complete silence descending on the room. Clark looked at Lana open-mouthed, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"Lana, what –"

"You're getting married?" barked Nell, turning on Clark and glaring at him.

"No, we're not… we never even…"

"How long have you known about this?" asked Nell, turning to Martha.

"I had no idea…"

While the two of them began to argue, Clark grabbed Lana. He couldn't help but notice the puzzled, slightly hurt expression on Chloe's face as he gently pulled Lana to one side.

"Lana, what was that about? We've never talked about getting engaged…"

Lana looked at him with frightened, slightly bewildered eyes.

"I don't know, Clark… for a second there I… I don't know what I thought…"

Horror gripped Clark as his brain made an association.

"Was it like a memory was there that shouldn't be?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Lana… this is going to sound strange… but I want you to take your necklace off. Right now."

He expected an argument – and if he'd gotten one, he would have desperately torn the necklace from her immediately – but instead she unhooked the chain and offered it to him. He took it from her, looking at it as if he might find some clue.

"What's going on?" asked Lana.

"I have no idea," said Clark truthfully.

"Is it true?" asked Martha, appearing from nowhere. She looked not entirely displeased.

"No, mom, Lana was just… joking. Can you try to explain to everyone? I really need to talk with Lana right now."

Escorting her outside, he decided to take her upstairs in the barn. He hoped his mother could smooth everything over. He put the necklace in his pocket, fingers absently running against it.

"Lana, this might be really important, okay? What exactly made you think we were engaged?"

"I don't know, Clark. It must have been a dream or something… but just for a moment, I had this really vivid image of you asking me to marry you. Not that I'm saying that's what I want," she added, blushing slightly. For a moment she couldn't look at him.

"Do you remember anything else?" said Clark thoughtfully.

"Well… it sounds really weird… I think we were someplace cold. Really cold. And…"

"And…?" pressed Clark, heart speeding up. If she meant the fortress…

"Um," she said, biting her lip sexily. "I seem to remember we were flying or something. Well, you were flying. I was being carried. It all sounds crazy; I don't know why I…"

Clark hesitated. There was no way Lana could remember any of that; from her perspective it had never happened. The only person who could actually remember it was him. He took her hands and smiled at her. This wasn't a situation he had ever prepared for. He realised as he began to speak he had no idea if he was about to tell her another lie or the truth…


	8. Chapter 8

People see what they expect to see, mused Batman as he continued to read through the journal. Two people had seen vastly different things… or at least thought they had. Rebecca had seen monsters, while Sam claimed to have seen animals, most likely jackals or something. Sam claimed the group had died in a cave-in. The bodies had never been recovered; the journal had. A mystery in of itself.

Reading the journal was a frustrating experience for the detective. He was used to dealing in logic, while this whole situation appeared to deal with illogic. The tempting route to take was in thinking that Sam was in some way involved in the deaths. The fact that he'd been found raving afterwards certainly suggested he was mentally unstable, and perhaps he had taken the lives of the team. But it troubled him that the bodies had never been found. Officials claimed they didn't have the resources to search through all the rocks and debris. But there was no debris; there had been no cave-in.

People see what they expect to see…

What about the other survivor? Sam went mad, the other vanished soon after. Just like the bodies. He was looking for logic in the whole affair… because that was what he expected to see.

What about the writings Rebecca had copied from the walls? There were no translations in the journal, so what it said remained a mystery. The translation on the torn page had not been written by Rebecca; he'd had handwriting experts run over it more than once. It had been compared with the handwriting of every person on the team, and it didn't belong to any of them either.

Why did the writings in the cave match that of a cave in Smallville? He'd spoken to a Professor Willowbrook, who had overtly told him very little. His actions had, however, revealed something important. The Kowatchi people had made no claim to the cave in the Kalahari desert after he revealed the writings to them. They were certain that the cave had nothing to do with them.

He turned over possible angles and theories, arguing and counter-arguing with himself, playing tennis with his thoughts. Only one possible lead emerged after further digging. At first, he'd dismissed Clark Kent. The boy had found the Kowatchi caves, but he hadn't read anything into that. But then he'd discovered a symbol from the caves had been burned onto Kent's barn. It had been dismissed as a prank… because that was what people expected it to be.

Whether it was because of intuition or paranoia, it wasn't what Batman saw.

888

"Lana… this is all very complicated," said Clark, rubbing distractedly at his hair.

"Clark, just tell me what's going on."

"Look, I have no idea how this happened. Those things you remember… they weren't part of a dream. They were real… for awhile, anyway. But um, you kind of… forgot about it," said Clark. This wasn't going to be easy to explain at all, and he certainly couldn't tell Lana everything. What if she blamed herself for the death of his father?

"I forgot about it," said Lana flatly.

"How much more do you remember, Lana?" asked Clark carefully.

"This is something really bad, isn't it?" whispered Lana.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I've only seen that amount of pain in your eyes once before. When your father died."

Clark flinched. He was usually good at hiding his real feelings, and had been unaware of how he'd looked.

"Think carefully, Lana. What else do you remember?"

"I don't know," said Lana, although it looked to Clark like she didn't want to remember. Some part of her subconscious wouldn't let her remember… at least not yet. He realised he didn't have much choice but to explain to her. Suddenly remembering she had died might drive her crazy. He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "What did I say?"

"What?" he asked, puzzled for a moment.

"You asked me to marry you," she said. "What did I say?"

"Don't you know?" he asked softly.

"I know what I want to have said. But uh, if I'd said yes then… we would be engaged. And I know you're good at keeping secrets, Clark, but that might be taking things a little far…"

"You said yes, after I showed you what I really was," said Clark.

"When you flew?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly flying," said Clark, a little embarrassed. "But yeah, that kind of thing. I finally let you in. I'd gotten so tired of hurting you all the time, and I wanted to be with you so much, Lana. It was the happiest moment of my life when you said you'd marry me."

"Wait… I think I remember it now. We were in some kind of ice palace… and… and you… you told me that you were from another planet. Krypton?"

"That's right," said Clark. Lana reached out and touched his cheek, just like she had back then. He couldn't sweep her into his arms and leap into the sky this time, not with so many people nearby, but she kissed him, and that felt pretty good too.

"I don't understand, Clark. Why did I forget everything? It doesn't make any sense."

She sat on Clark's knee and he hugged her close to him, his hand stroking the hair at the back of her neck. He didn't want to have to tell her anymore, but he was in too deep to back out now.

"This is hard to explain," he began tentatively. "That same night, you went to see Lex."

He felt Lana's body stiffen, and in the next moment she leapt from his grip and spun on her heel, eyes wide and fearful.

"I don't want to hear this!"

"It's alright, Lana," said Clark, standing up and placing his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay. Breathe."

"No, Clark, no…" said Lana, body shaking. Her eyes were starting to tear up. Clark momentarily blamed himself for not handling things better, before realising there was no good way to tell someone they had died.

"You remember, don't you?"

"Yes… oh God I remember everything. I was driving and Lex… it was all the same except… except one time the bus hit me, and one time it didn't…"

"I was too late," said Clark, sorrow in his eyes.

"But I'm here, Clark. Why do I have two different memories of what happened?"

"Apparently Kryptonian's figured out a way to travel through time. After you died, I went back to the fortress – the ice palace we were in. There was a crystal there that let me live the day over again. The second time, I stopped the bus before it could hit you."

"You saved my life… Clark I don't know what to say. You changed the past just to save me. Thank you doesn't really seem to cut it. But you never proposed again, Clark. Why not?"

"Lana, all these years I didn't tell you my secret because I was afraid it might be dangerous for you to know. And less than twenty-four hours after I told you, you were dead. I couldn't risk that happening again. There was only one crystal. I didn't propose because I couldn't let you marry me without you knowing the truth. Besides, knowing how many secrets I kept, you wouldn't have said yes," said Clark.

"Well, it looks like I know now…" said Lana. She paused as if perhaps waiting for something, but then continued talking, looking slightly embarrassed. "The question is, how do I know? If you changed the past, then how can I remember something that never happened?"

"I think it might have something to do with that necklace I gave you. It's complicated, but there's something not right about it. I don't know exactly, but I might have a way to find out. My biological father kind of lives inside the fortress. Well, he's dead but… there's a kind of AI that's like him… uh…"

"I have rather a lot to get caught up on, don't I?" asked Lana, who looked to be calming down a bit. Clark was relieved.

"Yup. I need to go and speak with him. If anybody knows what's going on, he does. Are you going to be alright? I don't like just leaving you after…"

"Leave me? Clark, I'm coming with you," said Lana.

"Lana, that's not a good idea. Jor-El can be very unpredictable. It's better if you stay here."

"I need to know what's happened to me. We're in this together, Clark. Don't shut me out now."

"Alright," said Clark, though he still felt it was a bad move. "Do you want to wait until after the party's over?"

"I think the party ended right about the time I announced our engagement," said Lana. "Besides, I think I'd rather face your father than Nell at the moment."

888

Lex was reading over a report at his desk in the Luthor Mansion, keeping busy to try and take his mind off things. You would never know that the place had just recently been broken into; everything had been tidied up very efficiently, despite the fact that the whole place had been turned upside down. Most of the staff had kept out of his way, after he'd lost his temper in front of them. His arm still hurt, the journal had been stolen, and he'd had to cancel his plans for Lana's birthday. He thought bitterly on how she and Clark must have spent the day together. He'd hoped to use today to root himself further into Lana's life, and try to increase the distance between her and Clark.

A knock on the door did not help ease his mood, especially as the knocker strode in without waiting for an invite. However, his anger was lost in a moment of surprise as he saw who his guest was.

"Professor Fine," he said, trying to appear neutral.

"Come now, Mr Luthor," said Fine, perching himself on the edge of Lex's desk. "You've followed my trail of breadcrumbs far enough to know I'm not a Professor. I had, in fact, left a trail leading right to my feet, but circumstances have forced my hand. You were rather taking your time."

Lex blinked as he considered all the implications of what Fine was saying. He intensely disliked Fine thinking he had the upper hand here.

"You're an operative for a secret branch of the state department," said Lex.

"Very good," said Fine cheerfully.

"Where exactly have you been all this time?"

"Oh, here and there."

"And why, after I spent a good deal of money and resource trying to track you down, have you walked straight into my home?"

"Straight to business. I like that. Did you never wonder, Mr Luthor, exactly why I was posing as a college professor in the first place?"

"The question did cross my mind," said Lex, running a finger across his bottom lip.

"During the second meteor shower, we identified something travelling towards Earth that wasn't a meteor. We prepared to move in and take it, only to have someone beat us to it. Namely, you. To that end, I began investigating Luthorcorp, with the intent of acquiring the ship by any means necessary."

"And then you mysteriously vanish the same day as the ship," said Lex with a half smile.

"Things seem to have a habit of disappearing from your grasp, Mr Luthor. You should be more careful. I appreciate you won't be happy about it; however, I think you'll realise I did what was in everyone's best interests."

"Meaning what?" asked Lex. Fine's self-satisfied manner was as irritating as his father's. Almost. He would, ultimately, learn that it didn't pay to underestimate Lex Luthor.

"Meaning you were never able to open the ship. We were."

Despite himself, Lex couldn't hide his curiosity.

"What did you find?"

"That," said Fine," is why I came to see you. We have a problem, Mr Luthor. One that is going to be very difficult to solve. If you'll come with me, I'll show you exactly what we found."

Lex shifted uncomfortably. He didn't trust Fine one bit.

"And where exactly are we going?"

Fine smiled.

"We're going to a place called Kandor."


	9. Chapter 9

Clark fetched some warm clothing for Lana to wear before driving her to the Kowatchi caves. He was quiet during most of the journey; Lana figured he was giving her a chance to try to come to terms with everything that she was remembering. The truth was, she wasn't sure how she felt about it all. The only thing she was sure about was that she loved the man… the Kryptonian sitting beside her now. That, and for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel so alone. She had never told him as such, but even when they were together she had felt lonely sometimes. She thought she was the one taking care of him, particularly since Jonathan died. Yet Clark had been taking care of her too, all this time. She just hadn't realised it.

"Do you remember?" he asked, removing a small octagonal object from his pocket.

"I remember," she replied, and took his hand when he reached out to her.

"Whatever's going on, we'll get through it," he said, and then they both were engulfed in a brilliant light. She closed her eyes against it, but in the next moment it was gone, and the two of them were alone in what Clark had referred to as The Fortress.

It was no surprise that she had thought of it as a palace rather than a fortress though. It looked to her as the kind of place she had imagined The Snow Queen living in the Hans Christian Anderson story. Almost as if she had stepped right into her own imagination. Even seeing it for the second time, she was still able to marvel at it. Clark had once told her that she often retreated into books to escape her problems, and now he had incredibly brought such a story to life with his very existence. He held her hand, squeezing it gently to try and reassure her.

"Jor-El, we've come to ask for your help," declared Clark, his voice reverberating throughout the chamber.

"I am aware of the situation, Kal-El."

Lana jumped only slightly at the voice, which sounded deep and incredibly authoritative. She couldn't determine exactly where it was coming from.

"You should not have brought the human with you," Jor-El continued.

"You don't call her that!" shouted Clark with barely restrained anger. "Her name is Lana."

"If not for her, you would have had all the information you required already, my son. Yet you broke your word to me, in order to save her."

"Clark, what's he talking about?" Lana asked as Clark winced.

"It's not important," he told her, before looking at the ground. "Jor-El, tell us what's going on. Why does Lana remember dying?"

"The memories she carries do not belong to her, Kal-El," said Jor-El. Lana felt a twinge of annoyance; Clark's father spoke as if she wasn't even here. And she didn't much care for the way he spoke to Clark, in tones of eternal disapproving.

"What do you mean?" she asked, determined not to be ignored.

"Kal-El has recently come into contact with an Empireth, a creature from another world. Upon physical contact with another, an Empireth may begin a process which enables them to absorb memories and abilities. When she touched Kal-El, she absorbed his memories. However, your will proved too strong to allow her to absorb your abilities also. That is well," said Jor-El.

"Absorbed my memories?" asked Clark, eyes narrowing.

"Yes, my son. The Empireth's reasons for doing so are unclear to me, yet she has transferred your memories into the necklace you now carry, and augmented them with her own abilities, to form whole memories of events that you did not bear witness to."

"The Empireth… she was the woman in the store? What exactly is she?"

"As I have explained, they are a race with the ability to absorb memories and copy abilities from other races throughout the universe. They also posses high-level telepathy that allows them to create powerful illusions. That is why you have so little memory of what happened to you. This power made them feared and hunted by others. The Empireth were forced to flee their home-world and became scattered."

"So they were feared because of what they could do, not who they are," said Clark.

"Unfortunately, that is true, my son. The Empireth were mostly peaceful creatures, but too many were afraid of their limitless potential. Most of them were destroyed; however, our race provided sanctuary for the survivors, in a city known as Kandor."

"Kandor? That's the place Chloe mentioned to me… It was part of Krypton," said Clark. Lana didn't think Clark noticed her startled reaction. Chloe knew about Clark? And what's more, it sounded like she knew a lot more about Clark than she did… No wonder the two of them had been so close while she and Clark had struggled so much.

"Not all of Krypton has been destroyed, my son."

Clark's eyes widened, and some emotion Lana couldn't quite place appeared in them.

"What?"

"Kandor was once our planet's capital; however, as more and more species were welcomed to it, the Pure Krypton Cultural Program was created by the council. In time, all non-Kryptonians were placed in Kandor in isolation from the rest of society. General Zod was amongst those who supported this cause. He did not stop there. Instead, he used the Brain InterActive Construct, known to you as Milton Fine, in order to remove Kandor from it's dimensional base."

"What does that mean? If the city wasn't destroyed, where is it now?"

"It was reduced to a fraction of it's original size and placed inside a bottle. The city is still possessed by the Brain InterActive Construct."

"Fine is dead. He was killed right here, in this fortress."

"As long as the ship exists, so does he," said Jor-El.

"The ship? You mean the ship that crashed during the second meteor shower?" asked Lana, struggling to keep up. Clark nodded.

"So what am I supposed to do? I have no idea where the ship or The Empireth actually are."

"The Empireth is currently residing somewhere in the Kalahari desert," said Jor-El. "However, you will never be able to overcome her power as you are now. She can mind wipe an area the size of a small city if it suited her purpose."

"You know a way to stop her though?" asked Clark.

"Indeed. A type of armour was developed during the war against The Empireth that not only protected the wearer against their abilities, but also turned their power against them. Part of the Pure Krypton Cultural Program involved recreating this armour in case The Empireth were ever to be eliminated. They came into use when one of The Empireth, Lenaria, was found to be abducting Kryptonian's and selling them to a creature known as Mongul, who used them as slaves. Samples of the armour can still be found in Kandor. You will have to retake the city and bring it here to me for evaluation. It may be that I can retrieve it from the city."

"What about everything else?" asked Clark. "Did the people survive? Are they still trapped in there?"

"Go now, Kal-El. Kandor has been removed from the ship, which gives you an opportunity to take it."

"How am I supposed to find Milton Fine?"

"He is working with the human known as Lex Luthor. That should provide you with a means to accomplish your mission. Do not fail me, Kal-El."

Clark waited a little longer, but it was obvious that Jor-El would say no more right now.

"Are you alright Clark?" asked Lana, trying to make sense of everything she'd heard.

"I just found out not all of my home was destroyed," said Clark. "I have to get it back, no matter what. Come on, I'm going to take you out of here."

Clark began making his way out of the fortress, but turned when he realised Lana wasn't following him.

"Lana, you're shivering from the cold," said Clark. "We have to get you out of here right now."

"He said Lex was working with this… Brainiac or whatever he's called. Let me help, Clark. I can warn Lex about what he really is, and Lex can help us get your city back."

"No, Lana," said Clark, sounding angry. "We can't trust Lex. How can you even think about going to him for help when you know he's the one that killed you? And now you just want to tell him I'm an alien?"

"No, of course not. We don't have to tell him you're involved. He trusts me. If Lex knows where Kandor is, let me find out."

"Let's just head back to the farm for now," said Clark, who wasn't about to give in. She'd learned the hard way just how stubborn he could be. Just like Jonathan.

"Alright, let's hurry," she said. It seemed rather unfair that she had to drop the subject since she was utterly freezing, while Clark wasn't affected at all.

888

Clark had a lot on his mind as he and Lana went back home. This probably accounted for why he failed to notice the intruder in the barn until it was too late.

"I wonder if everyone went home already," he said, taking Lana's coat for her.

"There are a few stragglers," said someone from behind them. A shadow detached itself from the wall. Clark felt the kryptonite before he saw it in the man's hand. His legs collapsed under him and he landed hard, his body writhing in agony.

"Clark!" gasped Lana, dropping down beside him. Clark tried and failed to get to his feet. "What have you done to him?"

Lana rose to confront the stranger, but Clark grabbed her ankle. He'd recognised the man, and he didn't want Lana to try and confront him.

"Lana, no. He's the one who killed Cyrus," said Clark, struggling to get the words out.

"I would stay back if I were you, Miss Lang," said Edward. "The Kryptonian has to die, but you don't."

"Leave him alone!" she demanded, stepping in front of him as though to shield him.

"You know," said Edward, almost conversationally. "I spent so long trying to come up with a way to absorb your solar energy. With the tech I have access to, I felt it was very do-able. When I found out that there were hundreds of rocks lying all across Smallville that weaken you, I felt kind of embarrassed. All that effort for nothing!"

Lana took several steps forwards while Edward spoke. On the fourth, a pistol appeared in his hand, so fast she hadn't even seen him move.

"Last warning," he said. Clark, trying to crawl forwards, saw the man was almost pleading with his eyes. Clark saw too well what was about to happen. Now that Edward had explained it was the rock in his hand killing him, Lana was going to risk everything to take it from him. As Lana tensed, Clark reached forwards to pull her back.

Lana moved quickly, diving to the floor and rolling on her shoulder. It was a move hastily improvised to try and distract Edward, but the man had already read the intent in her eyes. As Lana rose to her feet, hand rising to try and disarm him, he neatly sidestepped and pulled the trigger.

Even though Clark's speed was gone, taken by the kryptonite, everything seemed to happen very slowly. After what seemed like an eternity, Lana hit the ground next to him, blank eyes staring up at the ceiling.

"No!" cried Clark. It was supposed to be a cry of despair, but his strength was so far gone it sounded weak. "Lana…"


	10. Chapter 10

Edward's hands trembled as he watched Lana fall to the floor, blood pouring from her chest. He hadn't meant for that to happen. He hadn't expected the girl to be with Kent at all. Perhaps he should have postponed the mission, waited until she had left. But then again, catching Clark off guard was always going to be difficult. He'd been given details on all of the Kryptonian's abilities, and if Clark had even heard so much as his heartbeat he might have been in trouble, kryptonite or not.

"Shit, stupid kid. You shouldn't have…"

He let the words trail off, shaking his head. It was no less than he would have done for someone he loved. He had, in fact, found several years ago that there was very little he wouldn't do for such a person.

Something blurred across the barn on the edge of his vision. For a worrying moment he thought it was Clark, but the youth was still sprawled on the floor, hands around his dead girlfriend in a protective gesture. He found himself absurdly touched.

Raising his weapon, he ran his eyes over the rafters. Something was up there, all right, but he couldn't see it. He took several steps backwards until he hit the wall, preventing his adversary dropping down behind him. He tensed, waiting for movement, and was caught off guard as, instead of a person leaping down, something was thrown at him. He had only a moment to take in the strange metallic boomerang heading right for him before it caught the gun he was holding and sent it flying across the barn.

Instinctively dropping the kryptonite next to Clark, he dived for the weapon. He had just got a hand to it when a man dressed in the strangest costume Edward had ever seen dropped to the floor. He took in a mask with bat-like ears, a black cape and a bat emblem on the chest. Edward raised the gun with alarming speed, but the stranger caught his wrist, turning it up to the roof and forcing Edward to squeeze the trigger. The weapon jumped in his hand as it fired six shots upwards. Although Edward was rather distracted, his mind was sharp, and he noticed the anomaly immediately. The gun only held six bullets in it's chamber, and one of those was presently residing in Lana Lang's chest.

With the gun empty, his opponent caught him across the face with a left hook, following it up with a kick to the stomach that knocked the wind right out of him. Desperately breaking his grip, Edward leapt backwards, sensing he was going to get slaughtered at close range.

"Who exactly would you be?" he asked, bouncing on his heels and grinning.

"I'm Batman," said his opponent, switching his stance. Edward moved in, hoping quickly to the left and aiming low with a kick to his opponent's feet. Instantly Batman took to the air, left foot snaking out to catch Edward's head as he rose. Edward stepped back at the last moment, avoiding near-decapitation. He threw a flurry of punches as Batman landed, but the costumed-freak raised his arms and Edward failed to find a way through the guard. Aware his opponent was reading his moves, Edward switched tactics, twirling his body like a dancer, launching an awkward assault consisting of both high and low kicks. Batman was quick, but a kick to the chest sent him backwards. Seizing the opening, Edward spun on his heel and leapt into the air, landing a vicious fly kick that slammed Batman against the wall. His opponent recovered well though, and Edward realised his suit gave him a measure of protection. The yellow mark on the chest made it an inviting target, but he'd need to attack the head area, which was less protected.

A right jab missed as Batman's head jerked to the side and his fist slammed painfully into the wall of the barn. Batman gave him no time to recover, landing a powerful shot to Edward's throat that took him to his knees, struggling to breathe. A shot to the face broke Edward's nose and blurred his vision. Realising it was over, he decided it was time for the last resort. He'd just have to hope it was too late for Clark to be saved. Pulling a device from his pocket, he pressed a button just as Batman grabbed his shoulders and hauled him to his feet. In the next moment, both were engulfed in light as the teleportation device was activated.

888

Clark was only very dimly aware of the battle taking place around him. The kryptonite had almost reduced him to unconsciousness, and grief was overpowering him even more than the poisonous rock. The first time Lana had learned his secret, she had died within a day. History had repeated itself. And this time, there was no way for him to rewrite it. Lana was gone forever. His body shook not only with pain from the meteor, but also with sadness. His only consolation was, that in mere moments, he would be joining her.

"Not yet, Clark. You're not going to die today," whispered a voice in his ear, as if his thoughts had been read. He realised that they probably had; it took him a moment, but he recognised the voice as that of the woman he'd met in the store. The Empireth that Jor-El had warned him about. "Give into me now, and everything will be just fine."

A new agony seized him as the woman cradled his head in her arms. He began screaming as a pain he'd never known before ran through every part of him. He could feel the woman soaking up his memories like a sponge. Realising she was going to try to steal his abilities, he tried to fight back. The woman's eyes widened with terror as she realised he wouldn't give in. With Lana dead, she must have expected his will to be completely broken.

"No… NO! You mustn't fight it Kal-El… the process is too far gone this time… if it's interrupted, you'll kill us both!" she shrieked, tightening her hold on him and trying to increase her efforts. In desperation Clark actually bit down on her fingers. She squealed with pain but clung onto him for dear life. He knew he was losing; he could actually feel her getting stronger. It was his own strength she was now using against him. She began laughing as his struggles became weaker. She let go of him and his head thumped painfully against the floor. The last thing he saw clearly was Lana's body becoming surrounded by light, making her appear almost divine, and then all of that was swallowed in darkness.

888

Lana turned to see Clark vanish into thin air. She jerked to a sitting position, hand instinctively moving to her wound…. Only to find there was nothing there. She could clearly remember being shot… but she wasn't hurt at all.

"Clark?" she called out apprehensively. He'd looked to be in incredible pain, and then he'd been taken somewhere. There was no response.

What was she supposed to do now?

888

"Stupid piece of shit! Edward, bring the boy here now. There's no power to the teleporter. Everything in this place is falling apart."

Clark had no idea how much time had went by since he'd passed out. He awoke to the sound of the woman's voice. He was strapped to a steel slab, which was cold against his back.

"Clark, you're awake," said Edward as he passed. "I have good news – your girlfriend is still alive. I remember killing her quite clearly, but apparently Lenaria was altering our minds at that time. I'm… glad I didn't kill her, Clark. She seems nice."

"Hurry up!" snarled Lenaria. Clark could see she was huddled over a set of controls. He tried to break the bonds that were holding him to the slab, but found his powers were a fraction of what they were. The process Lenaria had put him through had weakened him, but he was relieved she had only copied his powers; she hadn't been able to remove them from him.

He was more relieved to learn that Lana was alive. He didn't think he was ever going to see her again, but as long as she was alive he had a reason to keep fighting. More than one – he had to stop that woman. Nothing good could come of her having his abilities. His strength coupled with her telepathic abilities made her a threat to the entire planet.

"Lenaria?" he asked, in a weak voice. Better to pretend to be weaker than he really was in the hope that he could catch her off guard. "You're the one Jor-El told me about. You were selling Kryptonian's into slavery."

"I hate to break it to you, Clark," said Lenaria with a cruel laugh. "But I still do that. Mongul has been very unhappy with the creatures I've been sending him of late. However, a Kryptonian will please him greatly. Hopefully once he has you, he'll leave me in peace until I'm ready to deal with him."

"I have the boy," said Edward. From the corner of his sight Clark could see a young boy of around eight years old, shuffling on his feet nervously.

"Thank you, Edward. Now report to the medical bay to deal with your injuries. Is our other guest comfortable?"

"I put him with the girl for now," said Edward. "Figured she'd like some company. And I'm fine, really."

"That may be, but I may wish to make love to you later, and I'd prefer your nose not to be squashed to the left like that while I do. I'd heal it myself, but I haven't had time to fully master Cyrus's abilities yet."

Clark flinched, but only the boy noticed it. Clark realised with horror that his abilities weren't the only ones Lenaria had stolen. How many meteor freaks had she been in contact with? Not only that, but she was clearly immune to kryptonite. If she hadn't been, the rock in the barn would have affected her too. And if you considered she might have absorbed some of the kryptonite running through the meteor freaks, absorbing his abilities would have killed her instantly.

How powerful was she?

"Now, son," said Lenaria, placing and arm around the boy's shoulder. The poor kid looked terrified.

"Leave him alone!" said Clark, struggling to try and escape. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he did though; he wasn't strong enough to handle The Empireth right now.

"I need you to use your abilities to power the teleportation system. My friend Clark here is going on a very long distance journey, and unfortunately for him it's going to be one way. You'll need to concentrate; we don't want it cutting out mid-way and scattering his particles across space, as amusing as that might be."

The boy put his hands to his head, clutching it as though in pain. He looked apologetically at Clark, who managed a small smile to let him know it was all right. Clark narrowed his eyes as another bright light appeared above him. He had by now seen enough of these to consider living in perpetual darkness a good thing. It looked like he had failed Jor-El's mission. His last thoughts as he vanished were of Lana. He hoped she would be alright. He couldn't protect her anymore…

As the light faded, he found he was no longer shackled to anything. He was lying on a carpeted floor, looking up at a fearsome sight. Sitting on something resembling a throne was an immense figure who's presence overwhelmed him. The figure looked down at him, amused by his predicament.

"Another Kryptonian… after all this time. Forgive my rudeness, Kal-El. I am Mongul. Allow me to welcome you… to Warworld."


	11. Chapter 11

Walking slowly, knowing she had to go in yet dreading having to try and explain things to Mrs Kent, Lana headed for the Kent household. She was running through events again in her mind, trying to get straight exactly what had happened, hoping against hope that Mrs Kent might know something that could help. Why had that rock hurt Clark? Who was that man in the barn? Clark had told her he had killed Cyrus. 

Most importantly, where was Clark now and was he alright? 

She hesitated at the door before knocking. Hopefully everyone else had gone home already; Lana didn't want to have to try and face Nell right now. The front door opened a crack and Martha's head peered out. Instantly her face showed concern, and she ushered Lana into the house. 

"Lana, you look terrible," said Martha. "And you're freezing. It's not that cold out, is it? Where's Clark?" 

Martha sat Lana down by the fire, wrapping an arm around her in a motherly fashion. Her obvious concern almost drove Lana to tears, but she couldn't afford to break down right now. 

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Pete, appearing at the doorway. "Where'd you and Clark get to?" 

"Pete, I need to talk to Mrs Kent alone for a minute," said Lana. Pete merely nodded, giving her a reassuring smile before disappearing. 

"What is it, Lana?" asked Martha. Now she not only looked concerned – she looked outright frightened. 

"Clark took me to the fortress," said Lana simply. She knew she had to give Martha a massively condensed version of events, sticking to the most important parts. "I know about what he is, where he came from."

"Lana…" 

"His father… Jor-El, he warned us about another alien, here on earth. He told Clark he had to stop it. Clark agreed, but when we got back someone was waiting for us in the barn. I didn't see exactly what happened – I was uh, knocked out," she said, not relishing trying to explain her 'death'. "When I came to, I saw someone holding Clark. He looked hurt, and then they both just vanished in a beam of light. It was like… well, like they'd been abducted or something." 

Martha gasped, clutching at her heart almost as Jonathan had when it gave him problems. Fortunately she recovered quickly. 

"I know this all must be a lot for you to take in…" said Martha. At that point, tears did fill Lana's eyes – she simply couldn't hold them back anymore. Martha had just been told her son had been kidnapped, and the woman was still concerned for her.

"I'm so sorry," began Lana. 

"Hey," said Martha, grasping Lana's hand firmly. "None of this is your fault. How could it be? Clark's had obstacles to overcome before. It's never been easy, but he's always come home safe in the end. Always." 

"Even after he died," said Lana, wiping her tears. 

"Yes… but we shouldn't rely on that again, Lana," said Martha. Something about her tone made her sound completely unlike the Mrs Kent Lana knew. She wasn't just saying it couldn't happen again, Lana thought. There was something darker about her tone, something that suggested to her that a price had been paid for Clark's revival. But what could that have been? "We should tell Chloe and Pete what's happened. They sensed something was wrong and stuck around after you disappeared." 

"Chloe knows Clark's secret too, right? But what about Pete…" 

"He knows as well, Lana," said Martha gently. Lana stiffened slightly against her will. She didn't want to judge anybody, but it seemed to her like there was a large conspiracy that had been going on all around her. Why would Clark tell Chloe and Pete yet wait so long to tell her? 

"It isn't like that, Lana," said Pete after he and Chloe had been brought up to speed. 

"Yeah, I mean Clark never actually told me anything until I knew already. It was Alicia who showed me what he could do," said Chloe, offering her a glass of water. 

"Alicia knew as well?" asked Lana, feeling insecure for a moment. Then she laughed softly. "Of course she did. They must have had a lot in common. He must really have loved her." 

"He probably thought he did," said Chloe. "And maybe he would have, one day, if her life hadn't been cut short so tragically."

"Truth is though, Clark's been in love with you for as long as he can remember. And he's not the fickle type, Lana," said Pete. 

"We're getting sidetracked," said Lana suddenly. "This isn't about me; we need to find a way to help Clark. I'd go back to Jor-El and ask for his help, but Clark had the key on him when he was taken." 

"That might not be such a bad thing," said Chloe. "There's always a price to pay when you deal with Jor-El."

"What does that mean?" asked Lana, but Chloe just looked awkwardly at the floor. 

Lana was about to insist on an explanation when footsteps suddenly echoed throughout the house. Lana jumped to her feet, thinking that Clark had escaped somehow, and couldn't disguise her disappointment when she saw it wasn't him. 

Lionel Luthor was standing before them all. Except, Lana noted with horror, his eyes were almost completely white. Just like they had been the day she'd seen him after the second meteor shower. 

"It means, Miss Lang, that they blame me for the death of Jonathan Kent," said Lionel. Except she knew it wasn't really Lionel talking. Jor-El was talking through him. 

888

Through the glass, beyond clouds tinged with an eerie red glow, on a rock right in the centre, was Kandor. Milton Fine watched Lex Luthor peer at it, eyes squinting as he tried to identify the tiny points of light that could be seen all over the rock. For one of the few times in his existence, Fine considered that he might have misjudged the situation, and that Lex might begin drooling and rambling long before he took his eyes from the city. The thought passed quickly; he was not given to contemplating his own failure. Instead he watched Lex as a hunter watched his prey, an eyebrow raised appraisingly. 

"There are still people in there?" 

"Oh yes," said Fine smoothly. "We've observed it under a microscope. There's a whole city in that bottle, and thousands of creatures living lives within. A few resemble humans; however there appear to be a number of different species trapped within."

"Rather like a zoo," said Lex thoughtfully. "Can we interact with them?" 

Fine shook his head. "Not directly. However, we did receive a message, transmitted in a loop via hologram. It told us it was transmitting a message from Kandor. It said, over and over, to 'Beware the Empireth'. Whatever that may be."

"They speak our language." 

"It would appear so," said Fine. 

"Do you think they have any idea what's happened to them?" 

Fine shrugged. 

"They've been cut off from the rest of the universe. I imagine they suspect something is rather amiss. Whether they know they're trapped in a bottle… who can say? What makes you think the boundaries of our universe are any different?"

Lex tapped on the side experimentally. Nothing seemed to happen. 

"Makes you feel powerful, looking at them," said Fine, voice distant. 

"I suppose so," said Lex noncommittally. "I want to study it." 

"You have no claim on it. However, I may be able to agree to this, in return for something." 

"And what would that be?" asked Lex, returning his attention to the bottle city. 

"Do you think the ship you recovered is the only vessel to ever reach the earth?" asked Fine. He was satisfied with how things were progressing thus far. Lex surely didn't trust him one bit, but he was foolish enough to take the bait every time anyway. His thirst for knowledge was too great. Lex considered the question carefully. 

"No, actually, I don't," said Lex. Ah, thought Fine… meaning Lex knew at least something of Kal-El's ship. It was not particularly impressive, since only a moron could have been friends with Kal-El for so long and not worked almost everything out. 

"A little over six years ago, we detected something approaching Earth's atmosphere. It's alarming that no-one else picked up on it. A reminder that an asteroid easily big enough to destroy the planet could slip through our limited surveillance system." 

A lie of course, since he had not been on Earth at all six years ago, yet thanks to his carefully constructed history, Lex could not know this. 

"What size are we talking about here?" asked Lex. Fine smiled, running a hand across the edge of the bottle containing Kandor. He considered the bottle city a prized possession. 

"Around one thousand times the size of the ship you recovered," said Fine. The figure was woefully inaccurate, but giving Lex the exact figure would have been a ludicrous mistake. 

"What?" 

"These aliens didn't come to Earth in a spaceship… they came to Earth in a space station."

Lex looked at him, trying not to betray his suspicions. 

"How could something that big remain hidden from the world for so long?" 

"Some form of advanced cloaking," said Fine. Now was not the time to explain the Empireth's abilities to Luthor. "Though some people have found it. Like the people in that journal you were so interested in." 

"You're the one who stole it," said Lex with an undertone of anger in his voice. 

"Yes… but not from you. I, in fact, stole it from the safe the girls' parents kept it in. It was me who made sure it was put up for auction, knowing the link to the Kowatchi caves would peak your interest. I couldn't have anticipated there would be other parties interested." 

"So do you know where this… space station is now?" 

"Yes, we do, Mr Luthor. That," said Fine, "is why you are here." 

"Excuse me?" 

Fine took a deep breath. He had to act suitably afraid. Fortunately he could be a superb performer. But not too good – that would make Luthor as suspicious as anything. 

"The station has been well protected. Besides cloaking, there are all kind of defence mechanisms around and presumably within it. Also, we don't know exactly what or how many are on board. Nevertheless, in one week our orders are to launch an offensive mission against the alien threat."

"What threat? They've been here six years and if there's been an invasion, I must have missed it," said Lex, spittle flying from his mouth as he spoke. 

"Didn't you read the journal?" asked Fine, looking disbelieving. Lex didn't look happy; Fine spoke as if speaking to an idiot. "The crew encountered monsters, Mr Luthor. The space station's location? The Kalahari desert. Not far from where they encountered them. Do you know what we found when we recovered the bodies of those creatures?" 

"What?" asked Lex, growing very impatient now. 

"They were human once, Mr Luthor. Until the aliens found them and altered them beyond all recognition. Oh, there's going to be an invasion, Mr Luthor. They've had six years to build themselves an army for one." 

"I still don't see why you came to me." 

"Our numbers are few. We live discreetly - even most of the top politicians have no idea what we do. We're outmatched and potentially outdone. Unless, that is, you help us. We need Level 33.1, Lex. We need you to lead an army."


	12. Chapter 12

Cold water roused Clark from his deep sleep. He didn't remember what had happened, but he found himself now in a prison. The place was in sharp contrast to the luxury of Mongul's quarters. As his vision cleared, he could see he was surrounded by various creatures, no two seeming to belong to the same species. A bloated frog-like creature with three eyes regarded him coolly. It had been him who'd thrown the water over him. Clark went to step forwards, but was halted by a pair of chains attaching his arms to the wall. Grimacing, he pulled at them and was pleasantly surprised when they broke. His strength had returned. Perhaps not entirely, but that was a good start. It also meant that wherever Warworld was, there was a yellow sun shining down on it.

"Well, that saves me the trouble of unchaining you," said the frog-man, unconcerned by the display of strength. "It's time for your first match anyway."

The creature gestured for him to follow, but Clark stood his ground. It was just as well he had met the alien known as Mongul before coming here, since now he was prepared for the kind of thing he might face. He was as alien as anything here, but he was the only one who looked human.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," he said, standing his ground. He would not show fear. The alien looked him up and down and sighed. Clark turned suddenly and swung with his right hand, intending to smash through the wall and begin trying to find a way out of here. If he'd been teleported here from wherever Lenaria had held him, he should be able to find a way to teleport back.

A hand grabbed his wrist.

"That's enough, boy," hissed the frog. It's foul breath brushed the back of his neck. "There's nowhere for you to go. Mongul's already altered the teleporter so it won't take you back home. And even if you got past the barrier around the city, we already know you can't fly yet. And even if you could fly…"

"I think I'm starting to get the idea," said Clark dryly, shaking his wrist free from the creature's grasp. "How do you know I can't fly, anyway?"

"News travels around here; well, depending on the kind. Info on a fighter? You better believe that's going all over."

"What's your name?" asked Clark as he was led out of the cell. The other fighters watched him as he went. His sharp hearing picked up various mutterings about how Kryptonian's had always been overrated, and how this one had barely left his mother's teat.

"My name is Yuish," said the alien. "Though few remember it. Draaga is the only one they care about, besides Mongul himself."

"Draaga?"

"Yes, the most powerful fighter on Warworld. No doubt you'll be pitted against him, one day. As long as you don't make any foolish attempt at escape. If you do, Mongul will have to make an example out of you."

"Quite so, Yuish."

Clark recognised the arrogant, overbearing voice immediately. It was far more repulsive to him than the alien's appearance. Mongul was humanoid, though could never pass for human. His skin was a distinctive shade of yellow, and his body large and powerful; built like a locomotive. Clark couldn't be sure yet how he matched up to the leader of Warworld. He hoped he wouldn't have to find out.

"I won't fight, Mongul. I'm not a monster like you," said Clark. Mongul waved a hand dismissively.

"Many of your people said the same, but they saw things my way in the end," said Mongu calmly. "Don't look so nervous, boy. I've selected an easy opponent for your first bout. We can't have you losing already, can we? I have a long career planned for you."

"I couldn't care less what your plans are," hissed Clark. Yuish, looking nervous beside him, gasped. The back of Mongul's hand struck Clark's cheek before he could react. It jerked his head to the side, stinging like crazy. Well, he'd just had his first taste of Mongul's power. Strong and fast. But it would take a lot more than that.

"Careful, Kryptonian. You will move as I direct or you will be moved. There's no need to be angry at me. I'm going to make you a hero! Now get out there and show the people what you're made of!"

888

"What are you talking about? You had something to do with Jonathan's death?" asked Lana, sounding shocked.

"Uh… someone want to tell me why Lionel Luthor's here and why he's talking all funny?" asked Pete.

"Lionel Luthor is merely the vessel I am using. I am Jor-El, true father of Kal-El. And to answer your question, Lana…"

"That's enough Jor-El!" declared Martha, standing up suddenly. "Where is Clark? Is he alright?"

"He is alive for now," said Jor-El.

"Bring him back, then," said Chloe. "You gave him a mission, and wherever he is now, he isn't going to be able to complete it."

"I am unable to agree to that request," said Jor-El. Lana shook her head. Jor-El's voice betrayed no concern for Clark at all. "Kal-El is no longer on Earth; he is a prisoner on a place known as Warworld, far from here."

"Then why did you come here!?" shouted Martha, losing her temper suddenly. Lana didn't blame her, but she took Martha's hand as the woman stepped forward. Clark had been apprehensive, if not exactly frightened, around Jor-El, and she didn't want anything to happen to her. "If you're not going to help, what do you want with us?"

"There may yet be hope for Kal-El, if you can gain control of the Empireth's base of operations. Unfortunately the time and effort involved would kill this vessel. Therefore I suggest all of you must continue with the mission in Kal-El's place. If you can gain the bottle city of Kandor and bring it to me, you will have all you need to defeat the Empireth."

"The armour?" asked Lana. She hadn't had time to explain everything to the others, and they looked at her questioningly. "You mean one of us can wear it?"

"That is correct," said Jor-El. "As long as you have the armour, overcoming the Empireth will be easy. Once she has been subdued, she can be forced to retrieve Kal-El, if he still lives. You already know where to begin. You must do whatever it takes to obtain the bottle city."

"But.. I don't know how…"

"You must manipulate Lex Luthor's feelings for you," said Jor-El simply.

"I can't do that," said Lana sharply.

"You are human," said Jor-El, and continued before Lana could protest. "I will give you the vessel to assist in your endeavours. He already knows of Kal-El's abilities."

"Now wait just a minute-" began Pete as Martha, Chloe and Lana collectively gasped. Jor-El merely looked at Pete and the youth was silenced.

"Martha will tell you that every time Kal-El is lost, something must be sacrificed. The price may be high in the end, but he must be retrieved. His destiny is too important to this planet for it to be lost now. I must go immediately, or risk damaging the vessel. He will be left with knowledge of what must be done."

Before any of them could protest further, a glow illuminated Lionel's eyes brilliantly, and the dull whiteness that had obscured his pupils before was gone. Lionel looked disoriented for a moment, then collapsed to the ground. Lana, Chloe, Pete and Martha surrounded him, none offering to help him up. Pete in fact looked like he wanted to kick the man in the teeth. To Lana's surprise, even Martha was glaring at him with anger. As Lionel began to stir, recognition returned to his eyes.

"Martha?" he asked groggily.

"You know Clark's secret," said Martha in an even tone. Sitting up, Lionel nodded. He appeared to be inspecting his knees with keen interest.

"I'm afraid that's true, Martha. I swear to you, I've never told another soul. And I never will. But right now…"

"How long have you known?"

"Not long," said Lionel, meeting her gaze now. "Martha, I appreciate you feel.. betrayed… right now, but Jor-El wants me to help you…"

"We don't need help from you," growled Pete.

"I'm sure working together you're all very… resourceful, son…"

"You don't call me that," said Pete. Chloe placed a hand on his shoulder to try and cool him down.

"But we're facing a graver threat here than you yet realise. I'm guessing Miss Lang hasn't had time to fill you in on all the details. Before you make any decision, I guess she should do so."

888

As Clark was taken up onto a podium, surrounded by an even stranger array of alien creatures than had been inside his cell, he figured at least he wouldn't have to listen to Mongul's overbearing voice anymore. As the crowd roared it's approval and Mongul strode into view, he saw he didn't even have that.

"My people, it does me good to see so many of you joining us here today. You've heard the speculation, and now allow me to confirm to you: as I promised, I have delivered. Stepping up today we have a new challenger, of one of the most feared species to ever enter the arena."

Mongul paused a moment as the crowd worked themselves up ever more. Clark shook his head. It sickened him that they got so excited at the thought of such a battle. To his left, on another podium, he could see who he assumed would be his first opponent. Or rather, what. Most of the creatures he'd seen here so far had been humanoid, but this was an outright monster. And after a moment, he recognised what it was. A mixture of lion, snake and goat. The same creature Lionel had told him had been seen on Earth in the desert…

"Yes, for the first time in well over a decade, aiming to make a name for himself, I gave you: the last Kryptonian, Kal-El!"

Thunderous applause came from such creatures as had two hands; others made do with fearsome roars of approval.

"But, my people, this Kryptonian was raised on Earth, a planet populated by weaklings. As such, can this mere child truly rise to the top? Will he one day challenge Draaga himself? Or will he fall in his first battle?" asked Mongul, looking eagerly at the crowd. Clark could see the creature relished his role. "His opponent is also from Earth, but this creature has gone from man to myth. Once human, his body was altered to create the fearsome beast you see before you now. Let us watch them engage in battle… on Warworld!"

The crowd rose to it's feet. Clark tried to shout a protest, but his voice was drowned out completely. He turned with horror to look at the monster he was about to face. He was not afraid of it; not at all – rather, he was shocked to learn it had once been human. How could that be?

The Empireth, he thought coldly. She'd been sending other… specimens here other than him. She couldn't send a regular human – they wouldn't be strong enough to please Mongul. So she made them into something else.

He turned ready to face his opponent, before realising they couldn't possibly fight here without risking hurting someone. He tensed as he saw, from the corner of his eye, a large gun turning towards him. Mongul smirked at him, and then the roar of the crowd faded. Clark spun furiously, finding himself in completely new surroundings. It looked like he was in the middle of a ruined city, with empty husks of buildings barely remaining standing. There was no sign of anyone.

Not until The Chimera was beamed in. It's lion head regarded him closely, and when Clark saw it's eyes he realised any humanity the creature had once possessed was long gone. There was also a goat's head in the middle of it's body, and at the rear was a group of hideous snakes He tried to remember what he knew about the mythical creature.

A burst of flame erupted from the goat's mouth. Oh yeah, it can breathe fire, he thought. The creature leapt forward and Clark's mind worked quickly. If he were facing the monster of legend, it's fire would presumably have been magical, and could have hurt him. As this one had been manufactured, he was probably safe. He stood his ground, letting the creature launch a blast of fire at his chest, and staggered back at the force of the heat. Good plan, Clark, he thought dimly. With his powers not quite back to full yet, and with this creature's power apparently augmented by whatever Lenaria had done to it, he'd have to be more careful. The blast hadn't really hurt him, but he'd felt it, and a sustained blast could be dangerous.

Lunging forwards, The Chimera tried to take a bite out of him, but Clark leapt clear with ease. It's movements were fast, but not fast enough. Launching a flurry of furious strikes, the creature's paws caught his shoulder only to find Clark grabbing's it's front legs and tossing the creature backwards, where it slammed into one of the ruined buildings. It was only now Clark noticed a number of tiny cameras following them, as one sped over to the Chimera. As it tried to rise, Clark blasted the building with his heat vision, causing the roof to collapse onto the creature.

Roaring with pain, the creature squirmed under it's prison. Clark turned away, then heard a challenging cry as the monster emerged, rubble being strewn everywhere. Clark raised a hand and a huge stone shattered against it. The Chimera pounced onto him, but Clark leapt into the air, carrying the monster with him, swerving his body at the peak of the jump. The goat head snapped to one side, launching a flame at him, but Clark grabbed it's neck and jerked it wildly, causing the flame to miss it's target at the last moment. The Chimera's body writhed as it was slammed into the ground, a crater forming in the ground under the force of the impact. Clark stood back, half-expecting the creature to rise again, but the snakes at the back flailed weakly, and the eyes were dulling.

"What say you?"

Clark turned as he heard Mongul's voice emerging from one of the cameras. At first he thought Mongul was talking to him, but as he heard the crowd he knew otherwise. The crowd was chanting for blood.

"The people have spoken," said Mongul, who had expected no other response.

"I won't kill it," said Clark coldly. "It was human once. I'm through playing your sick games."

"Ah, the naiveté of youth!" said Mongul, sounding amused. "You don't have a choice, Kryptonian. You do it our way freely or are forced into doing it. We are a democracy, and the people demand that creature's death. I will allow this one defiance only."

Clark was about to give an angry retort when he heard something in the camera. A moment later, a blast of energy struck the creature and stripped the flesh from it's bones. Clark stood trembling slightly as he looked at it's remains.

"I'm sorry…" he gasped. Home suddenly felt a long way away.


	13. Chapter 13

Anger filled Clark's heart as he was teleported back into the arena. He glared at Mongul with undisguised loathing, and in that moment swore to himself that the leader of Warworld would pay for his crimes. Mongul, perhaps reading his thoughts, met his stare. Clark didn't resist as an escort surrounded him and began leading him back the cells. Yuish was waiting in the back, shaking his head.

"You shouldn't have done that, kid. A lot of people stand up to Mongul at first. Idealism doesn't last. Not on Warworld, at any rate," said the frog-like alien.

"I think that is a lesson the Kryptonian has yet to learn," growled Mongul, appearing behind them. "No-one talks back to me in front of my people."

"There's always a first time," said Clark, raising himself to full height. He was still substantially smaller than Mongul, but wasn't going to back down.

"Don't understand, do you? Everything is about politics. Right now, you create them by opposing them. You can't fight me. Warworld is a democracy, yet the people still worship me as though I were a king. As though I were a god!"

"Oh, I think I do understand," said Clark, voice little more than a whisper.

"Then you'll know the price of your defiance. Yuish, I think a hundred lashes are in order. No, wait… make it two hundred. The boy needs an urgent attitude adjustment. For his own good. Most would have been killed immediately for speaking out against me so publicly. But I very much want you alive for now. Administer the punishment, then bring him to my quarters. I think he'll soon see things in a different light."

Clark wondered exactly what was meant by lashes in this case. Yuish escorted him to a private cell. A couple of the other guards stripped the shirt from his back, tossing it into the corner. A pair of chains hung down from the ceiling, and Clark was locked in them, hanging by his arms so his feet barely touched the floor.

"These aren't like the chains you broke. Every time you try to escape from them, a current passes through your body. You're very strong, but let me assure you it is designed to hurt even one such as you."

"Like that whip?"

"Yes," said Yuish calmly. "You'll just have to grin and bear it, I'm afraid."

Raising the weapon, Yuish brought it down on the back of Clark's neck. Immediately his body shook as blue lightening struck his body. Writhing in pain, he groaned and twisted his body. As the pain stopped, he realised he still had one hundred and ninety nine of those to go. The whip came down again.

His face contorted in a grimace of pain. There was no way he could withstand this kind of punishment.

Except… except he had to. He had no choice but to endure. Earth was still there, at the mercy of an alien creature that had absorbed his abilities. And on Earth, there was Lana. The great love of his life, now having to come to terms with what had happened to him.. Don't give up on me, Lana. I'll find a way back. We'll be together and…

"Four…"

And everything would be alright….

"Five…"

888

"That isn't going to work, you know."

The girl sat sipping from a glass of water, turning her attention from the book on the table to the strange man trying to pick the lock on the door.

"And why… gah… might that be?"

"Why are you dressed like that?"

At first, seeing the man dressed in the bat-like costume had made her assume he worked for Lenaria. It seemed exactly the kind of crazy person she would recruit to her cause. But now she realised he was a prisoner here, just like she was. He'd informed her he was going to get them out of here.

"You'd be surprised how often I get asked that," he said, attention wholly on the lock.

"What's your name?"

"They call me Batman."

"Oh, I've heard of you. I always thought you were just a story, like Santa Claus."

"What about you?"

"My name's Amy. You won't be able to pick that lock, you know. That door isn't really there. It's only there in our minds."

Breaking off his efforts for a moment, she watched as Batman felt around the door cautiously.

"It's an illusion?"

"Uh-hu. This place looks like a kid's bedroom, doesn't it?"

"You're saying it's not?"

"It's really a prison cell. We're prisoners on a space station."

Batman turned to face the girl, any expression obscured by the mask.

"We're in space?"

"No; we're on Earth. I think it landed here a long time ago. It belongs to Lenaria now, but I think she stole it from someone."

"How do you know all this?" asked Batman. The girl suppressed a small shiver. She might not be able to see his face, but his voice told her he didn't trust her one bit. And she was smart enough to realise this was not a man you wanted for an enemy. She bit her lip nervously.

"You can't tell anyone. It's a big secret."

"Go on," said Batman. She noticed this was not a commitment either way.

"I have… powers. A few months ago, there was a meteor shower in Smallville. My brother and I had gotten left home alone by our mom, and we didn't know what was going on. They evacuated most of the town…"

"But you got left behind," said Batman, sitting down opposite her.

"A meteor destroyed part of our house. Parts of it collapsed. My brother… he had a stereo, that our dad gave him before he died. I kept telling him we had to get out, it wasn't safe… but he kept saying he had to fix it. It was all he had left. I don't know how it happened - maybe I got it from Mom, Dad always said she was different - but I just wished for it to work… and it did. All the parts that were busted got put back together. But he thought he was the one that did it."

"What does this have to do with anything?" asked Batman.

"This space station… I know what it is because I can interact with it. Most of it is falling apart, but I can repair the systems. Not all of them, cause this place is MILES long, but some of them."

"And that's why they took you?"

"No, that's why they took my brother. Lenaria, she can see people's memories, and steal their abilities."

"So because your brother thought he fixed the stereo…"

"She thinks it's his power. There's a camera in my brother's cell, so I can… interface with it and see everything that goes on. So when she tells him to do something, I do it for him. They just keep me here as leverage, so he'll do as they want. I have… a confession to make."

She wet her bottom lip nervously. Batman didn't trust her as things stood, and she didn't think he would react well to this news.

"When you were teleported in here… it was me that electrified the floor, knocked you out. I control the defence systems in this place."

"If you control this place, then why haven't you escaped?"

"Because Lenaria would kill me! She'd know, and she's so dangerous when she's angry. And I told you, this place is miles long. It's impossible to get out."

"Who exactly is this 'Lenaria' anyway?"

"Some kind of alien. She steals people's powers, their memories… She must be so strong by now. There was some boy here not so long ago. I had to… to send him away to another planet, after she took his powers. They thought he was really powerful somehow."

"Don't tell me it was Clark Kent?"

"I don't know what his name was. But he seemed like a nice guy. Kind of cute. Oh God, what have I done?"

"It's going to be okay, Amy," said Batman. "I'll get you back to your mother."

Tears welled in Amy's eyes at the thought of her mother.

"My mother's dead. One of Lenaria's men shot her."

Batman's mouth twitched. She was enveloped in his cape as he put his arms around her. She was grateful, though could tell he was uncomfortable with the move. Yet she still felt strangely safe in the stranger's embrace. "I'm sorry," said Batman. "But if you'll help me out, I think I can get us out of here."

888

Clark had no idea how much time had went by before he was pulled down from the wall. His thoughts had become incoherent, almost driving him the edge of insanity, but when it came down to it, his heart hadn't let him give up. He hadn't quit. In the darkest moments, he'd thought of Lana. Thought of his mother. Even thought he'd seen his father standing right there next to him, willing him to keep fighting.

Yuish looked faintly surprised.

"Alright, I guess I'd better take you to Mongul now," he said, watching as Clark's wounds began to heal before his eyes. "You're still sane, right?"

"Sane as I ever was," muttered Clark, staggering to his feet. Two guards held him upright.

"Not bad for a kid," said Yuish. "A lot of grown men would have been gibbering on the floor after that. I didn't hold anything back."

Clark started at him coolly. The alien sounded almost proud of that fact. They remained in silence as Clark was taken up to Mongul's quarters. The leader of Warworld was sitting on his throne, drinking what looked to Clark like some kind of wine, staring out of the window. The view was of space; vast, largely empty aside from the stars.

"I had hoped it would not come to this, Kryptonian. However, you've left me with a dilemma. I can't afford to kill you, since you are the biggest draw I've had in some time. The people were growing bored. The creatures I was having caught couldn't stand against Draaga, and everyone knew it. Lenaria used to be one of my most reliable agents, but you saw for yourself the kind of things she's been sending since becoming stranded on Earth. I was almost ready to force her onto Warworld, until she located you."

Mongul strode forwards, stopping mere inches in front of Clark, who didn't even blink. He would not be intimidated.

"She was afraid of you, you know. With her abilities, she could have conquered the Earth, but she knew of your presence there, and she's always been a coward. She wouldn't make a move until she was sure no-one could stand against her. She spent years searching for you without success, since you remained hidden. You too, had the power to conquer, and yet you remained in the shadows. Pitiful."

"Did you bring me here to bore me with your stories?" asked Clark.

"Still the disrespect has not been beaten out of you. I had half-expected that, which is why I brought you up here. This way."

Mongul turned his back on Clark, an inviting target. But Clark knew this was not the time to make a move. He was led to another room in the back, and he viewed this place with grim fascination. At the centre was a large object he at first mistook for a telescope, before realising it was clearly a weapon.

"Warworld wasn't originally designed as a place to hold battles," said Mongul, looking at the weapon with pride. "It was originally a weapon used to obliterate anything in it's path… even planets. Your planet has already been destroyed, but I already know you have a weakness for your adopted home."

"Don't you DARE!" shouted Clark, throwing the two guards next to him backwards. "I swear, if you do anything to hurt Earth…"

His words were cut off as Mongul's large hand grabbed him around the throat hoisting him from his feet like he weighed nothing more than an infant.

"I'll make myself very clear, Kryptonian. If you do not do exactly as I say, act exactly in the manner I intend for you, I will completely destroy Earth. And even then I won't kill you. I will make you watch as I destroy planet after planet each time you dare to defy me. Do you understand? Say 'Yes, Lord Mongul'."

Placing Clark back down, Mongul smiled coldly.

"Yes, Lord Mongul," said Clark meekly.

"Excellent. And, I think, another two hundred lashes tomorrow, just to remind you of your new-found humility."


	14. Chapter 14

Mongul didn't wait long before giving Clark his next fight. This opponent certainly had never been human, and while his first foe had been an unthinking animal, this was a creature that was fighting with decades worth of combat experience. Perhaps the huge leap in class of opponent was another punishment designed by Mongul.

This alien was roughly the same size as him, and humanoid, but any similarities ended there. It's skin was green and scaly in a way that reminded him of an alligator. Around it's head was a strange extra piece of skin, green and slimy, looking almost like a fan. As far as Clark could tell though, it gave no combat advantage whatsoever.

The axe in it's hand, however, was a different story. Before the fight, Mongul had announced that it was enchanted, and had been the downfall of many opponents. If it was magical in nature, then it could hurt him, and after the trouble he had with the Chimera's flame breath, he wasn't about to experiment. The alien threw the axe over-arm, Clark ducking out of it's mad arc. It spun in a half-circle, and Clark observed it carefully, speeding himself up so that it moved in slow motion. He saw that it was somehow going to turn back around, almost like a boomerang.

He would have had plenty of time to deal with it, but from the edge of his vision he could also see the fighter running towards him. It was moving somewhat slowly compared to him, but still faster than a bullet, so he didn't have much margin for error. He dodged two fast punches and elbowed the alien in the stomach, pushing him back immediately after. As the creature fell Clark turned his head and used his heat vision to blast the axe as it spun down furiously towards him. Whatever magical properties the thing had stopped it from melting in the heat; however, he'd struck it with enough force to knock it off target. Except, he noticed, it was already coming back again. He prepared to use a much stronger blast, willing to send it right into orbit if that was what it was going to take, when his opponent got up and grabbed his arms.

The alien tried to force Clark back, but the Kryptonian held his own, refusing to give any ground. As the axe swooped down again, he saw an opportunity to use his opponent as a shield, but he wasn't prepared to kill him. Although once Mongul gave the order, he might not have a choice. Clark had spoken to some of the prisoners about the weapon, and he was pretty sure Mongul wasn't bluffing. If Clark disobeyed, Earth would be destroyed.

Instead of holding his opponent in place, he spun on the toes of his feet, taking the grey skinned warrior with him. Building momentum, hoping he timed it right, he began to spin so fast they began to blur until almost appearing to be making a tornado as they spun round faster and faster. The surrounding air began to move with them. The crowd, watching intently on the screens, collectively gasped. Before the axe could strike, Clark let go of the alien and swung his arm up, striking the handle and casting the weapon's edge into the ground. It looked like it would finally stay put. His opponent managed to get to his feet, but Clark could see he was now completely disoriented. He actually looked like he was about to throw up. A few wild swings were easy for Clark to avoid, before he finished the match with a violent string of punches that ended things in his favour.

"The Krptonian emerges the victor!" declared Mongul. Clark stared at the camera. There was no defiance in his gaze now, only a calculated look of self-assurance. He had only one idea on how to handle what was coming next, and it was going to require he pull it off exactly right. "What say you?"

"Kill him! Strike him down!" Clark heard the audience roar in response. Clark raised a hand, and was slightly surprised when everyone fell silent.

"The people have spoken, Kryptonian. Or do you intend to defy their will again?" asked Mongul, the threat barely masked. It's all about politics, Mongul had told him. He was creating them by opposing them. Mongul had been right; he couldn't fight back that way. But maybe Mongul couldn't either.

"Absolutely not," said Clark. He spoke now with an arrogance that dimly reminded him of Kal-El. He offered the crowd a smirk. "But this creature does not deserve the honour of death. I say he be removed from Warworld and forced to live with the shame of his defeat for the rest of his miserable life. Forced to know that he will never be able to defeat Kal-El of Krypton!" He raised his arm at the last. And the crowd went nuts. Just as he'd hoped, they loved it.

"Let him live!" a few shouted. "He deserves nothing!"

Slowly, the rest of the crowd began to join in. If Clark had one regret in that moment, it was that he couldn't see the expression on Mongul's face.

"The people have spoken," said Clark coldly.

888

Lana Lang had rarely felt so uncomfortable in her life. She could hardly believe she'd agreed to Lionel and Jor-El's plan. But it would be on her terms. She wouldn't have been surprised if Lionel asked her to sleep with Lex, the way he was going on.

"Surely you could find out what Lex knows?" she asked him. They were both sitting in the back of a limousine Lionel had provided. Chloe had come along with them. Mrs Kent had stayed home, telling Lana it was her choice and hers alone what she did – she trusted her judgement. Funny, because right now Lana wasn't sure she trusted it herself. But she had to do something to try and help Clark. Pete had outright refused to help, saying they were making a big mistake getting involved with Lionel Luthor.

"In time, yes," said Lionel, in a voice you might use with a particularly slow child. "But lately Lex has gotten rather better at keeping things hidden that he doesn't want me to see. Demons are forged through continuous battle, Miss Lang. Lex and I have been at war for many years; we each make the other grow stronger. He's gotten sharper. Too sharp, maybe." He spoke the last sentence mostly to himself, Lana thought.

"We can't exactly afford to waste time if someone has Clark's abilities. Trust me Lana, however much you know about Clark, you still can't understand just how powerful he is," said Chloe. Lana could see her fingering a small meteor rock in her hand. Lana recognised it as the meteor rock that had made Clark sick in the barn, and looked at it with a measure of revulsion. The meteors had killed her parents, and these things could apparently kill Clark with their very presence. God, and she'd worn one around her neck all those years. She could have killed him, and he hadn't said anything.

Chloe probably thought it might help if Lenaria showed up, but she didn't want to say anything about it in front of Lionel. He obviously knew a lot about Clark, but there was nothing yet that proved he knew about the affect the rocks had on him. Lana wasn't so sure about it though. If the meteor rocks would work, Jor-El probably would just have said so, instead of making them retrieve the armour from Kandor. Chloe must have considered that too though.

"Lex loves you, Lana," said Lionel. "It isn't a pure love, not by any means, but feelings like that… they can bring even the strongest defences down. Don't stay with him any longer than you have to, though. If he suspected anything… well, just make sure he doesn't. Once you have the location of Kandor, get out of there and let me handle the rest. I have more than enough resource to take it without Lex knowing."

"What about Fine?" asked Chloe. Lionel's cheek twitched. Luthor's typically thought they had the upper hand in any situation, but Fine was an opponent beyond anything Lionel had ever faced.

"We'll see," he said quietly.

888

"We're going to take this one step at a time," said Batman. "I'll be with you every step of the way, so there's nothing to worry about."

Amy nodded.

"Although neither of us can see it, somewhere in this room is a real door. We need you to find it and open it for us. Concentrate."

Closing her eyes, she tried to picture what the door might really look like. She'd seen various sci-fi movies growing up, and imagined one of those. Then she saw herself opening the door and proceeding through it.

She opened her eyes. Nothing had happened. She was about to offer an apology to Batman, but the man in the costume shook his head.

"Try again," he said patiently.

This time she not only pictured the door, she pictured herself touching the door and getting a feel for what it was really like. She could feel that it was broken; a door like this needed power to open it. Like the doors on Star Trek or something that opened when you walked up to them. If there was no power, the door stayed closed. So she would have to become that power. Then, just as she had fixed her father's stereo, the door would work again.

She opened her eyes and a part of the wall that had a poster of Jon Bon Jovi (she adored Jon Bon) slid open, leading to the corridor outside. She moved towards the opening, but Batman raised an arm to stop her. Once he was satisfied there were no guards nearby, he waved her through.

"If this place really is miles long, they're going to have a tough job guarding all of it," he said.

"Yeah, but which way do we go?"

"Next step: do you know where they're holding your brother?"

She shook her head.

"No. I can see the room he's in, but I have no idea how to get there. We can't just leave him, we –"

"I won't, but I'm getting you out of here first. Once I've done that, I'll get your brother. You have my word. Until then, our next step is finding the teleporter that brought me here. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes," she said, pleased she knew the answer to this one. "Lenaria showed my brother how it works, and I watched without them knowing through one of the cameras. It's simple really."

"Alright. Just one more question, then we go. Do you have any idea where my utility belt is?"

"No. What is it?"

"It has all my equipment. It would have come in handy if we ran into trouble, but that one was a long shot. We'll make do with what we have."

"What exactly do we have?" she asked.

"Well… we have me, and we have you. Sound like enough?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling. She led him down towards the teleporter room, Batman stopping her occasionally while he scouted the corridors. On the third time he stopped, he pulled her in close to him and turned her head towards something.

"Do you know who that man is?" he asked, pointing through to a room with an open door. Inside, a short balding man was sitting on the edge of a bunk, sobbing gently into his arms.

"His name's Ethan, though they call him 'The Sheriff' for some reason. I never met him, but I've seen him on camera before. He mostly cries or talks to himself about how he's screwed up big this time."

"So you don't think he wants to be here?" asked Batman.

"You're going to bring him with us?"

"Wait here," said Batman. She watched as he snuck across to the other side, slipping into the room undetected before grabbing Ethan and putting one hand around his neck and the other over his mouth.

"Listen carefully. Try to summon help and I will kill you. Now I'm a prisoner here, and I think you are too. We're leaving. If you want to come with us, follow us quietly. If not, then I don't think we'll meet again."

Slowly, Batman removed his hand from Ethan's mouth. She saw the man breathe a sigh of relief, before he got a good look at his apparent rescuer.

"Why are you –"

"Never mind," said Batman. "Are you coming?"

"Hell yeah," said Ethan getting to his feet and wiping at his tears. He looked a little pathetic. "Do you have a weapon?"

"Not exactly."

"I have a spare gun," said Ethan. Amy could see one in a holster at his waist, and he pulled another from under the mattress. Batman waved it aside.

"I don't use guns," he said, and strode from the room. Amy hurried over to his side. She felt safe being close to him. As Ethan introduced himself to her, looking slightly horrified that a child was caught in this place, the lights began to flicker. Batman looked to her.

"This place… Every time I fix something, it just ends up breaking again. It's like my dad. He got a cancer, and ended up real sick. The doctors gave him treatment for it, and he'd get better for a little while. But then he'd still just get sick again, no matter what they did. I think something's making this place sick too. At first I thought it was just old but… I think it has a cancer of it's own," she told him.

Setting a quicker pace than before, the trio headed towards the teleportation room. It took a little longer than Amy expected, and for a horrible moment she thought she'd gotten them lost, so it was a great relief when she got them to the right place.

"This is it," she said.

"How is this going to get us out of here?" asked Ethan, raising an eyebrow at Batman, who ignored the question.

"Can you show me how to use it?"

She showed him the basic controls, how to select a target for teleportation, how to program a destination, and how to activate it. She offered to show him it again, but he told her he knew what to do.

"Your destination will be Gotham City. I know a safe place there where you can wait for me. Once I have your brother, I'll join you. Can we use this to retrieve the person you sent to another planet?"

Guilt consumed Amy completely.

"No, we can't. I don't know where he is now."

"Then I guess he's on his own," said Batman, sounding regretful.

"Yes, I would say so."

They turned as one towards the mocking voice coming from the doorway. Amy gasped as she saw Lenaria leaning against the doorframe, arms folded nonchalantly, looking at them all as if they were insects. Then, impossibly, she had moved across the room. Amy hadn't even blinked, but she hadn't tracked the movement at all. Neither had Batman, who was hurled across the room, head slamming nastily off the wall at the back before slumping down. His body sagged like that of a rag doll, and Amy could see blood trickling from the back of his head.

In the next instant, Ethan had drawn his gun and fired three shots in quick succession. His aim was true, yet the first two rebounded harmlessly off Lenaria's body, just beneath her left breast. The third she caught between her middle and index finger, smiling as she did so. It had taken her no effort at all. As Ethan looked on, stunned, his finger went to pull the trigger again, but the action was never completed. Lenaria's eyes went red, making her look horribly demonic, and fire burst forth from them, striking Ethan's gun from his hand. Amy saw it land; she noticed it had melted so that it was no longer recognisable. Ethan shook his hand – it had been burned badly. He'd been lucky the gun hadn't become stuck on it as it melted.

"With my new improved hearing, I heard you even from the other side of the station. Edward was wrong to trust you, I see, Sheriff. Not to worry; you can still be of some use. I think I'll feed you to one of my pets. And as for you," she snarled, turning to Amy. Amy shuddered as Lenaria approached, twirling the bullet between her fingers. She found herself mesmerised by the quick movements, and was still watching it closely when Lenaria jammed it up into her forehead and pushed it through into her brain.

She was still screaming thirty seconds later. That was how she realised she wasn't dead.

"Felt real, didn't it?" said Lenaria, pursing her lips. "Most people only get to die once, little Amy. But with my gifts, I can kill them a thousand times. It seems totally real, expect afterwards they come back so it can happen again. I need you alive to keep your brother on my side; but that doesn't mean you can't spend all that time suffering."

"You leave… her alone…" said Ethan weakly. Puss wept from the burns on his hand.

"I'm not going to be leaving anyone alone, not anymore Sheriff. When war reached my home planet, my people and I ran I order to survive. We hid and cowered and begged others to protect us. Well, I'm through hiding now. And now all of you are going to…"

Amy tensed as Lenaria disappeared, fearing she was about to attack her again. Only when she saw Batman slumped over the teleporter controls did she realise he had saved them. She rushed to his side. He held an arm over where Lenaria had hit him. His suit hadn't protected him from the strike, it seemed and a large crack had appeared across it. He coughed blood over the controls. His injuries must be internal. And she could only fix things, not people.

"She sure likes to talk," wheezed Batman.

"Where did you send her?"

"Other side of the world."

"She'll be back. You saw how fast she moved…"

"Yeah, but I bet she'll need directions," said Batman. Ethan helped him to his feet, gritting his teeth against his own pain. Batman reset the controls to take them to Gotham, and the next thing Amy knew they were on there way. And she realised her brother had been left behind. Batman was hurt too badly to help, and without her on the ship, they would realise her brother didn't have any power at all. And meanwhile, an innocent boy had been sent to another world, because of what she could do.

And as they went, she thought she felt the station calling out to her. Because she'd been the only thing keeping it alive. Now it was at the mercy of something she thought might be worse than Lenaria.

But what?


	15. Chapter 15

Lex terminated his call to Milton Fine when it was brought to his attention that Lana Lang was waiting at the gate. He signalled for her to be let in and rose from his chair to await her arrival. He and Fine had been in regular contact since their agreement to work together, forming battle strategies and both trying to out negotiate the other. Lex was demanding access to the ship Fine had stolen as well as the bottled city in return for the use of Level 33.1. Fine was playing for time, claiming he'd have to take requests to his superiors.

Lex wasn't about to give any ground. He knew from what Fine was saying that people were going to die in the assault. They were going to die following his orders. The subjects in Level 33.1 had been thoroughly trained for combat situations, and Lex was certain they were ready for something of this scale. He just wasn't sure he was.

"Lex, thank you for seeing me," said Lana, smiling awkwardly as she entered the room. He could see she was guarded.

"Well, it's a little late, but happy birthday, Lana," said Lex, crossing the room and giving her a hug, her scent lingering in his nostrils. He broke the embrace, marvelling at how beautiful she was. He'd had some of the most stunning woman in the world lusting after him, and none of them compared to the woman standing in front of him right now.

"Thanks, Lex," she said. "I'm really sorry I didn't get to see you. You're arm's out of it's sling; I guess you must be feeling better."

She looked at him with a touch of concern, but he detected something else there too. For a moment he almost thought it was resentment, but he quickly pushed the thought aside.

"Here's your gift," said Lex, opening a drawer at his desk and pulling out a CD.

"Thanks a lot," said Lana, taking it from him. "Not exactly what I would have expected from you."

"I'm just full of surprises," said Lex. "I put some of your favourite songs on it. And a few of your parents', as well."

"My parents?"

"I spoke to Nell," said Lex. "She told me what kind of stuff they listened to. Thought it might bring back memories."

Lana gave an ambiguous smile. "Lex, this is…"

"Completely unexpected? Lana, I could have bought you anything in the world. But I knew that gift would mean more to you. I figured you and Clark could listen to it together," he said, watching her reaction carefully.

"Uh, yeah. Anyway, Lex, the reason I came over…"

"You look beautiful, do you know that?" said Lex suddenly, taking her hand.

"Lex, let go of me," said Lana, shaking free of his grip. "What's the matter with you?"

Lex smiled ruefully.

"I'm sorry… it's just that… In a few days, Lana, I need to do something. Something dangerous. I don't know what's going to happen. I just wanted you to know how I feel before I do that."

"Lex, is this something to do with Milton Fine?" asked Lana. Lex raised a surprised eyebrow. "He's not who you think he is."

"I know. I had him looked into," said Lex, turning his back on her. In truth, he was barely concealing his anger over her rejection. But he wouldn't show it. Too many times he'd come close to showing Lana a darker side to him, and he would remain in control now. He would have her. Clark simply did not deserve her. "Trust me, Lana, I have to do this."

"No, Lex, trust me. I don't know what you found, but it wasn't the truth. Milton Fine isn't a man at all. He's an artificial intelligence."

Lex swung round to face her, and now his anger did slip through slightly.

"Is that the nonsense my father fed you?"

"Your father has nothing to do with this…"

"Don't lie to me! Fine told me the two of you are working together."

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Lana was looking more nervous that he'd intended. She had lied to him, but she was not Helen.

"Alright, Lex. Your father did send me here. But I'm not doing as he asked. I'm doing things on my terms, and I'm telling you as much of the truth as I can. He wants me to manipulate you. I just want to ask for your help."

Lex's expression softened.

"You know I'll do anything for you, Lana," he said.

"Lex… I know you've made mistakes, but I've grown very fond of you. I've seen a side to you most people don't get to see. But I need to make things clear to you. I'm not going to choose a man I'm fond of over the man I love," said Lana. Lex hesitated just for a moment, wanting so badly to tell Lana what a fool she was being. But he changed his mind. It was a bad idea to be so forceful right now; he had to stick to his original plan to win her over. Always assuming he survived the upcoming battle. He had his own role to play in that, one he and Fine had crafted carefully.

"I know that," he said, eyes on the floor. "But I don't want to help you just to get something back. I just want to help my friend, because it's the right thing to do."

"Alright then," said Lana, nodding contentedly. "Lex, I need to find Kandor."

888

As Clark was returned to his cell, he noticed many of the prisoners staring at him with venom in their eyes. As their jeering broke off, he noticed the crowd parting, and one of the prisoners strode forwards. An impressive, battle scarred warrior, he looked at him, seeming to weigh him with his eyes.

"You disgraced that warrior," he said. "Why would you force him to live in shame?"

"It wasn't like that," said Clark. "I won't be forced into killing someone just because Mongul says so."

"You took his honour from him."

"I gave him a chance to live," said Clark. "Who are you, anyway?"

"My name is Draaga, the champion of Warworld. One day, we will meet in battle. And I will give you an honourable death the day we do."

"Thanks," muttered Clark, sitting down on the ground, leaning his back against the wall. Any good feelings about getting one over on Mongul were fast disappearing. He'd managed to avoid killing someone, but was no closer to getting home. Mongul had made maybe one mistake; Clark knew where the weapon that could destroy the Earth was to be found. Except it was well guarded, and even if he could beat all of them one on one, the kind of foes encountered here were much stronger than he generally had to deal with. They could overwhelm him with numbers. Lex had once told him that if all you could do was react to your enemy, you would be destroyed. The only way to win was to make your enemy react to you. Then you had them by the throat.

He had to get back home. He had to take a chance.

"I challenge Mongul," he said, rising to his feet. Everyone turned to look at him again, though this time there was only pity in their eyes. Yuish, standing outside the cell monitoring the prisoners, looked at him like he was mad.

"Kid, you don't just…"

"Do I take that as an answer? Let him speak for himself. Get him down here, and let's see what he has to say."

Draaga leant close to him.

"I fought Mongul once myself. I could have beaten him, but he has access to a powerful weapon…"

"That destroys planets? Yeah, I know," said Clark.

"He'll force you to lose," said Draaga, shame written on his face. "There is nothing to gain in this."

Silence filled the prison as footsteps echoed throughout. Mongul walked in slowly, a scowl etched in his face, hatred being directed at Clark.

"You are a fool, Kryptonian. Fortunately, I have experience dealing with such. The challenge is accepted. And this will be the last time you ever cross me."


	16. Chapter 16

By the time Clark started to have doubts, it was far too late to back out. His plan could be described as ambitious at best, and it might not just be his own life on the line if things went wrong. The crowd was going crazy as he waited on the podium to be transported to the battlefield. Fights involving Mongul himself were apparently rare, and typically one-sided. Mongul stood on the podium opposite, looking perfectly calm. And why shouldn't he be? Even if Clark were physically strong enough to challenge him, at Mongul's command a weapon powerful enough to destroy the Earth would be activated.

With Mongul a competitor, it was up to an impressive creature that put Clark in mind of an ogre to take his place as Master of Ceremonies.

"Who could have predicted this turn of events?" the ogre asked, presumably rhetorically. "It was just a short time ago that The Kryptonian joined us on Warworld, and already he stands here about to face the unequalled, undefeated, the one we all revere… MONGUUUULLLL!"

Clark let the cheers of the crowd wash over him, closing his eyes and preparing himself for the battle ahead. He thought of Lana, of everything she meant to him. He wasn't going to die out here when she was on Earth waiting for him. In his pocket, he still had the necklace he'd given her for her birthday. Although he couldn't be certain, he now thought he had an idea why Lenaria had placed those memories inside it. If he was right, it meant that Lana wasn't in any immediate danger. He certainly hoped not. Now she had his abilities, who knew what The Empireth might do?

You have to be alright, Lana, he wished silently. When I get back, I'll give you your real present. It's going to be a little late, but I finally know what it is now. And it's going to be worth waiting for.

Lost in thought as he was, he barely noticed as he and Mongul were teleported to the destination where the fights occurred. Now the real work began. First thing he had to do was try and distract Mongul while he found what he was looking for.

"You know what the stakes are?" he asked casually, looking around. He tried to make it appear as though he were looking for cameras. The little devices whirled about all over the place, determined that the audience should miss none of the action.

"I can guess," growled Mongul. "If you win, you earn your freedom?"

"Not quite," said Clark, giving a half smile. He couldn't see it… if it was out of the range of even his telescopic vision… "If I win, Warworld is mine."

Clark could see surprise and anger cross Mongul's rather unattractive features. He recovered quickly though. He was running out of time; once the fight began he doubted he'd have time for anything else. He frantically tried to adjust his vision, trying to pinpoint what he needed… there! Using his x-ray vision to see into the structure, he acquired his target.

"No-one has ever…" began Mongul, before shaking his head and chuckling. "I suppose I have to admire your… ambition. But you have no chance. When I'm finished with you, Kryptonian, you will quiver with fear at the mere mention of the name Mongul."

"Well, I think…" started Clark, before speeding forwards and catching Mongul with a right hand between his eyes. "You might be wrong about that."

Mongul was moved back a step or two, but shook the blow off quickly. Clark hadn't expected the fight to end with one punch, but was still impressed by Mongul's resilience. The ruler of Warworld snarled in response and began swinging wildly. With rage blinding his opponent, Clark was able to read the attacks and used his speed to dodge. Even doing so, he found there was no room for complacency as a right hand brushed against his cheek. Clark adopted a hit and move strategy, catching Mongul with sharp body blows before retreating out of reach. That wasn't easy however; Mongul's arms were longer than his, and on his third attempt Mongul lunged forward and seized Clark around the waist, clasping his hands and trying to squeeze the life out of him. Clark gave a quick cry of anger and defiance, catching Mongul's wrists and trying to force his arms apart. Mongul's body shook with the effort of trying to hold him, but hold him he did. Realising he had to do something quickly, Clark focused his head vision and blasted Mongul with a wide blast right in the face. Feeling the grip loosen, Clark forced the arms apart and, holding onto one of Mongul's wrists, tossed the alien over his shoulder. The ground beneath cracked slightly as his bulky body impacted. Not about to wait for him to get up, Clark launched a flurry of punches at Mongul's head, hitting with so much impact that the ground beneath gave way and Mongul collapsed into a crater.

Before he could capitalise further, he was sent flying by a kick to the head as Mongul twisted his body and suddenly rose. He hadn't even landed when Mongul sped underneath him, grabbing his head and legs and holding Clark above him like a trophy.

888

Chloe couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as she waited with Lionel in the limo. He, however, looked perfectly relaxed, casually reading a newspaper and occasionally making small talk.

"Just because I'm here for my friend doesn't mean I trust you," she said suddenly, unable to take any more. Lionel nodded, unconcerned.

"Did you know, Miss Sullivan, that the human brain retains memory of every single thing it experiences? We forget things, yet it all remains stored there somewhere, just waiting to be rediscovered. But we humans can be very selective when it comes to memory, don't you think?"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Chloe carefully as Lionel smiled.

"I know you don't trust me," was all he said, before returning his attention to his paper. "Good thinking with the Kryptonite, by the way."

"What?"

"Oh, I uh… assume you brought it along in case… in case The Empireth tried to turn Clark against us. I wouldn't think that likely though. Jor-El seems to think he's on another world, and I don't think she intends on bringing him back."

Chloe flushed. The truth was she'd brought the rock along exactly in case of that. But she hadn't counted on Lionel knowing what it was. She doubted Jor-El would have willingly given Lionel that information… perhaps that was something he'd figured out on his own somehow.

"Interesting though, isn't it Miss Sullivan, that The Empireth doesn't control the world already? I mean, with her abilities, she could make the President of the United States her puppet. For example."

"Because that's what you'd do," said Chloe. Lionel laughed.

"Hardly."

"So why hasn't she?"

"Interesting question. My best estimate would be that we're dealing with someone who is incredibly cautious. Remember, once you've shown your hand, you can't take it back. If you can only influence so many people at one time, how long is it before someone see's through your deception? Trying to retain control – complete control – would be rather like trying to prevent the outbreak of a particularly contagious disease. Once it begins to spread, there's no stopping it."

"Only now that isn't going to matter.," said Chloe to herself. Oh Clark, I think we really need you…

The next moment the door opened and Lana jumped in, Lionel didn't even look up.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"I think I know where it is," said Lana with a smile.

888

Pete saw Lana getting into the limo, and tried to signal with first his lights then his horn. The driver ignored him completely, driving past, and there was nowhere for him to turn around. Except the Luthor Mansion, but the gates were closed. He decided instead to try calling Chloe on her mobile. He cursed himself for not coming along with them in the first place. His stupid pride had made him storm out of The Kents once they decided Lionel should help. The truth was, his misgivings should have made it more important for him to help.

Chloe's phone rang, so she had it turned on, but she never answered. Probably just had it on silent or something, he thought. As he cancelled his call, he noticed the gate to the mansion slowly opening and a Ferrari exiting. Behind the wheel was Lex Luthor, which was fair enough. Except sitting in the seat beside him was Lana Lang.

Keep it together, thought Pete. She just looks like Lana. You just saw Lana get into that limo, so that can't be her.

"Dammit, man, you're still back in Normalsville. This is Smallville. And that's definitely Lana. And who the hell are you talking to?" he asked, hitting his head off the wheel. Hesitating only a moment, he sped through the gate, using the extra space to get himself turned around, exiting quickly as he caught the attention of Luthor's security. Accelerating the vehicle, he began to follow Lex.

888

Still being held above Mongul's head, Clark screamed as the ruler of Warworld began trying to break him in two, pulling at his head and neck. With his head facing upwards, he couldn't even get a shot in with his heat vision. He wasn't used to his body being moved by another force, but right now his spine was starting to move into a position it had never been designed to be in. Shaking a leg free in desperation, he caught Mongul on the back of the neck with as much force as he could manage. A second and the hold on him faltered. Switching tactics before Clark could escape, Mongul slammed him down across his knee not once but twice before hurling him high into the air. As Clark fell, unable to do anything to change his trajectory, Mongul's leapt and caught him with a powerful spin kick that sent him hurling through the air. Slamming through the front of an empty building and out again, finding the impact didn't slow him down one bit. He finally landed heavily on his neck. If he'd been human, it would have broken instantly. Instead he forced himself back to his feet, finding himself face-to-face with Mongul, who had followed him. Clark stared his opponent down, refusing to show any pain or weakness; Mongul would have seized upon it in an instant.

Clark moved his head to the left and blasted, full force, with his heat vision, sending it across Warworld with an intensity he'd never had to resort to before. Mongul leapt clear of the blast, but Clark didn't stop it. Instead he pushed it onwards towards it's real target.

"You missed," said Mongul dryly.

"Did I?" asked Clark with a half smile. Mongul frowned at him. One of the camera's zoomed over to the side of Mongul's head, and Clark heard a voice being transmitted through it.

"Lord Mongul… there's been an explosion…"

"Not now," said Mongul, stepping forwards and preparing to resume the fight. The camera moved alongside him.

"Lord Mongul… the weapon…"

Finally comprehending, Mongul's eyes widened with shock. His body began to tremble with rage.

"Oh… you…" seethed Mongul, holding his head as if he'd developed a migraine. "That's it, THAT'S IT! YOU ARE DEAD! So far, I held back. I am, after all, a showman, and I wanted the people to be entertained. Now, I'm through with that. I am going to tear you limb from limb you Kryptonian bstard!"

Clark showed no fear.

"Let's see what you've got," he said, and charged.

888

The space station had always somewhat unnerved Edward, It was a huge place housing relatively few people, and when no-one else was around, it felt like you were horribly alone. He wasn't alone right now though; he stood alongside George, a gangly man with brown hair and a large scar running down the side of his nose. It had been George who had approached him several years ago with the promise of utopia. Despite this, the two never really got along – perhaps because they reminded the other of the crimes they'd committed, perhaps because they both loved the alien they served.

Few humans were among their number. For one thing, not many survived for long. Their job was typically to exterminate meteor freaks once Lenaria had absorbed their abilities, to ensure their power was never used against her or lest she were discovered. This was not a job where you were likely to cash in your retirement. The other reason was because not many people necessarily shared their view of the world – or at least, weren't ready to yet. Although she could have turned people to her will using her abilities, she had never done so to his knowledge. Lenaria only recruited those to her that would love her willingly. Those who did so became her knights, and would serve her until death.

Their goal had seemed so noble at first, but even Edward, who loved Lenaria completely, had to admit to some doubts along the way. And now, as she paced her room ranting and raving, he felt strangely unsettled. The birth of Utopia required the death of the world as they knew it now; Lenaria could only control so many minds at once. But once humanity was reduced to suitable numbers, there would be no more crime, no more random death or cruelty. That was the one mistake God had made in his creation; giving humans free will. In that decision, he had allowed chaos to reign. But when she had entered his life, he'd found a chance to change all that. Chaos would finally be eradicated, and order would rule.

"I'll scatter his ashes across the corners of the Earth…" she spat, glaring at Edward as if he were part of the problem.

"Well," he said, trying to appear calm. "We have the co-ordinates they teleported to, but I doubt they're sitting about waiting for us to follow them. We do know that the caped…crusader is known as Batman. First sightings of him in Gotham started around a year ago, but many thought he was just a story."

"I'm not sure we should be wasting out time…" began George.

"You'll be wasting your time cleaning out the SHT those freaks I made for Mongul leave in their cages if you don't keep your thoughts to yourself!" snapped Lenaria. George wiped a fleck of spit from his cheek. Edward tried not to smile. She could be difficult to love, at times.

"Regardless, we have no way of finding them," Edward said. Lenaria finally stopped pacing the room now, looking at him with slight amusement.

"I don't need to find them. You forget the power I now have at my disposal. With The Kryptonian gone, there are none left on this planet who might oppose me. So it's time to stop hiding. When I'm finished, they'll be dead anyway, because I will leave nothing behind. I'm going to destroy Gotham city completely."


	17. Chapter 17

Mongul caught Clark on the way in, using his momentum against him and tossing him like a child across the battlefield. He recovered himself in an instant, but Mongul swept in and caught him with a right hand followed by an elbow to the throat. Clark realised Mongul hadn't been bluffing about holding back; these blows took their toll. He threw a fist of his own but Mongul caught it in his hand, smirking, and began pounding Clark. Finally he managed to pull free, but Mongul swung his hands and clubbed him on the back of the neck. A flurry of punches followed. Clark got his hands up in time, but Mongul broke his guard instantly and he staggered back. Six heavy shots to the face and body went unanswered, and Clark found it increasingly difficult to think coherently. Another clubbing blow took him to one knee.

Realising he was getting slaughtered in close range combat, he finally ducked a wild hook and swept backwards, turning his heat vision to max. This time his miss was not intentional as Mongul rolled aside and flung his whole weight at Clark. The shoulder tackle knocked Clark off his feet and Mongul landed heavily on top of him. Clark tried to roll him off, but Mongul grabbed his head and began ramming it against the ground.

In desperation, Clark used two tiny beams of heat against Mongul's eyes. He wasn't proud of the move, but there were no rules on Warworld. Anything went. Mongul screamed and fell backwards, hands over his eyes. Realising Clark would press his advantage, Mongul began swinging wildly, but it was easy for Clark to avoid the blows. His immediately unloaded with powerful body shots. He was regretting destroying the weapon so soon. His father and he had used to watch boxing fights when he was little, and he knew that you weren't looking for a knockout early on. You were looking to wear your opponent down, storing shots in the bank later when he'd be weaker. If he'd taken more out of Mongul earlier, he might not be in so much trouble now.

888

The safe-house Batman had taken both Amy and Ethan to wasn't much, but it was perfectly functional. Amy was content watching television, and Batman interrupted her only to question her about Lenaria and the facility they'd escaped from. He needed as much information as he could get. He was no match for her physically, even as his full strength. And right now, though he'd had a doctor see him privately, he could barely move.

The doctor had also seen to Ethan, whose arm was now heavily bandaged. Batman had gotten Alfred to dig up a little information on the man, and Batman had been very interested in the results. As had the Governor of the prison Ethan had gotten out of. The man was swearing he'd heard calls and seen documentation ordering Ethan's release. Of course, no such material could be found. It existed, Batman knew, only in the man's mind.

He knew The Empireth had a weakness that could be exploited. He'd been able to work it out after putting together everything Ethan and Amy had told him. Exactly how he was going to exploit it he wasn't sure of yet.

The explosion jerked him out of bed. The ground around him shook violently, and he heard Amy screaming from the other room. He made to rush through to her, and fell over in agony. A moment later, Ethan ran in and tried to help him to his feet.

"She's here," said Ethan in a whisper. Batman saw the man was completely devoid of hope.

"She's in my city," said Batman with barely controlled fury. "She's in MY city."

"We have to run," said Ethan. "The police aren't going to be able to stop her."

"Maybe not," said Batman. "But I might know someone who can help."

"Whoever he is, he's not going to be getting here in time," said Ethan, shaking his head. Batman turned to look at him.

"Want to bet?"

888

Pinning Mongul's arms to his sides, Clark began unloading with a succession of knees to the gut, knocking the wind out of Mongul. He was holding nothing back now; motivated as hell by thoughts of Lana, of getting home and taking her in his arms…

Mongul, boasting years of combat experience that Clark simply didn't have, slipped his leg inside and took Clark's feet out from under him. Grabbing his legs, he raised Clark above his head and drove him into the ground, Clark's head shattering a rock as it impacted. With a kick to the teeth, Mongul raised his arms above his head.

"Now do you understand? You are nothing. You thought because you won TWO matches, two that I deliberately chose to make things easy for you, that you were actually prepared. Now your foolishness has cost you your very life," said Mongul.

Can't give up now, thought Clark grimly, crawling over and struggling to his feet. His shirt had been torn open, his face was smothered with dirt, and a small trickle of blood oozed out of the corner of his mouth. He was surprised to find someone could actually make him bleed without using kryptonite.

As he rose he took a stiff jab to the face, followed by a powerful overhand strike. It took him to both knees, but he sucked it up, digging deep and rose again. When Mongul swung again, Clark ducked and then leapt into the air, guiding his jump perfectly almost as though flying. He unleashed not one consistent blast this time, but instead quick bursts of his heat vision which destroyed the battlefield around Mongul. The ruler of Warworld disappeared amongst the smoke and debris, but Clark knew he'd scored some direct hits as well. He landed on top of a building, one of few left standing that hadn't already been destroyed. As the smoke cleared he saw Mongul running towards him. He managed to use clever footwork to avoid two quick bursts of heat vision, before Clark caught him in the chest and drove him back. To his surprise, Mongul slowed but did not stop, fighting his way forwards. Both of them put everything they had into it, and Clark saw that Mongul's flesh was slowly starting to burn. If he could just keep it up a little longer… but he couldn't use this level of power for long… he was getting tired… and Mongul was pushing forwards….

With an earth shattering boom, Mongul's fist collided with the building and it crumbled in an instant. Clark, who had been focused entirely on using his heat vision, fell helplessly to the earth, debris shattering on his back. There was simply too much of it and Clark disappeared under it all.

"The Kryptonian has been defeated!" declared Mongul. Too soon, as in the next instant Clark flung the wreckage from his back and got to his feet again.

"You can't win, Mongul," said Clark, striding forwards calmly. In a moment Mongul had lunged at him and grabbed his throat. Clark could see Mongul's body was smoking, most of his flesh burned terribly.

"Oh, can't I?" snarled Mongul, squeezing tightly. Clark kicked his way free, feeling weary, telling his body not to give up on him now. He struck Mongul with a hard elbow but was caught with a crushing body blow followed by a kick to the chest. Clark barely kept his footing before Mongul jumped at him, tucking his arms and legs and spinning at him. He struck Clark under the chin like a cannon ball and Clark's vision went dark for a moment.

"Lana…" he gasped as Mongul hauled him to his feet. A headbutt staggered Clark, and he could now feel blood pouring into his eyes from a cut above his head. He could now barely see Mongul's blows to counter them, and they all found their target. Clark went down again, body aching, legs telling him it wasn't a good idea to try standing on them again. He could still hear the crowd roaring through the cameras surrounding him. He didn't think Mongul would need the weapon in them to kill him. Likely he would rather do it with his own hands.

Except… could he…

With one final effort, knowing this was probably his last gamble, he wiped his eyes as best he could. An open palm strike from Mongul almost took his down instantly, but his fighting heart would not let him quit. Leaping to the right, he grabbed one of the tiny cameras in his hand. Mongul sprinted towards him, while Clark's heart sank. It looked like they were only operated from elsewhere… but just maybe…

Tossing the camera in front of Mongul's feet, he used his heat vision to blow it up. He'd seen the energy inside it strip the flesh from The Chimaera's bones, and he had to hope blowing it up might release that power.

The gamble paid off. A green flash, reminding him of kryptonite for a second, emerged from the ruins of the camera, hurling Mongul off his feet. Clark could see half of his face had been blown off in the explosion. Large chunks of skull erupted from the back of Mongul's head. The crown Mongul wore went spinning off, and Clark did not follow it.

The ruler of Warworld was dead.

"Warworld is mine now," said Clark. "You all heard the agreement, and I don't think anyone's going to say the victory wasn't decisive."

He paused for breath. The people were actually cheering. They didn't seem upset that 'the one they all revered' was dead.

"Here are your orders. First, teleport me back. Second, set up the transporter so I can go back to Earth. Then, go home. There will be no more fights until I say so."

He'd considered telling them there would be no more fights period, but he wasn't sure Warworld was quite ready for that yet. They would likely have turned on him in an instant. His body hurt like hell, but he managed a smile. He was going home. Incredibly, he found he still had Lana's necklace. It had survived the fight.

"Hang on, Lana," he whispered. "I have one quick stop to make, and then I'm coming to see you."

888

Lenaria had been just a girl when the first attack had hit her homeworld. Since that day it seemed like she had always been running, one way or another. It made her feel wonderful to have the power she did now. There was no need for her to feel afraid again. She would wipe the scourge of humanity from the Earth, saving only a chosen few, and then she would build Utopia.

But destruction felt better than she'd thought it would. It was amusing to be the one in control of the battlefield. Nothing happened that she did not allow. Nothing.

The police formed a barricade, trying to surround her. Their first priority was protecting civilians. She used heat vision to blast their cars, watching with amused satisfaction as one of the officers was caught in the explosion. Their bullets bounced off her harmlessly, but they still kept shooting.

"The definition of insanity," she said, speeding behind an officer and grabbing his neck, "is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

She laughed as she snapped his neck, watching with joy as the police kept shooting, over and over, at nothing. They hadn't even seen where she'd moved to. She prepared to destroy them with Clark's – with her – heat vision, but when the flames were half way to their target, she watched them disappear right in from of her. She frowned. That should not have happened.

"Not The Kryptonian…" she gasped. She fought down her fear; she was far too powerful for him now. She had abilities that could destroy him in a heartbeat. In a heartbeat!

"Guess again," said a voice behind her. "I'm all human. The name's… well, better not say. But you can call me Flash. As in 'you will be on your ass in a'…"


	18. Chapter 18

Before Clark had even returned to Earth, he'd hit upon another problem.

"Can't you set it up to take me somewhere else?" he asked.

"Uh… well, you see, Your Greatness…" said Yuish, looking nervous. He was probably wondering if the new leader of Warworld was remembering the beatings he'd administered. Clark didn't plan on taking any vengeance for that, but he wasn't about to reassure the alien either. "Teleporting someone across such a distance… it requires something to receive you at the other end. So… there's really only one place you can go…"

Straight back to Lenaria's ship, Clark thought glumly. Not the best place. Much as he didn't like to admit it, he wasn't ready for her yet.

"We have a video feed to the station," said Yuish helpfully. "We could make sure nobody's waiting for you. Though really, I don't know why you care. That Empireth was always terrified of Mongul, and you BEAT him, kid."

"Station?" asked Clark.

"Yeah, the space station Lenaria stole. Where you came here from."

Clark frowned.

"Alright, let's take a look," he said finally. Yuish set the feed up, and though the angle was rather different from when he'd seen it before (he'd been on his back chained to a table then, after all) he recognised it as where he'd been held. There was no-one there now, but most likely someone would know the instant he teleported in. No way around it; he wasn't prepared to wait here any longer. "Send me down there."

"Sure, sure. But, er… exactly when will you be coming back?"

"You'll be hearing from me," said Clark.

888

Outwardly, Bart knew he looked pretty sure of himself right about now. Inside, he was more than a little nervous. It was a good thing he was quick at adapting; he'd had to orient himself to this rather unusual situation very quickly. Batman hadn't had much time to bring him up to speed. His advice had been to lure her out of the city, and not get hit. Real useful.

Fire burst from her eyes. Fortunately he'd just seen that particular ability in action, and was ready for it. He ran around it, moving in an arc so that he ended up behind her. She turned quicker than he'd expected.

"Pretty fast," he said. He couldn't afford to take it too easy then. "I don't suppose, if I told you I knew what it was like to be different, you and I could go talk this out over drinks or something?"

Her arm reached out to one side and casually lifted a streetlight out of the ground, swinging it round so it pointed towards him.

"Guess not," he muttered. Springing forwards, he leapt onto the end of the pole, arms outstretched for balance, sprinting along to the end where he jumped over her and caught her with a kick to the back of the head. Landing, he spun and slammed his fist into the small of her back. He didn't much want to hurt a woman, but she had just torn up half of the street.

It felt like every bone in his hand had just broken.

"Arrgh! Holy crap!"

Hurt though he was, he still had the presence of mind to duck as she swung the lamp post like a bat. He rolled underneath, springing to his feet and jumping forwards with both feet targeting her. He bounced straight off her body and landed heavily.

"This is just great," he moaned.

888

As soon as he appeared on the station, Clark sped out of the teleporter room, using his super-hearing to try and locate any nearby threats. He could hear dissatisfied grunts coming from somewhere off to his right. They sounded to him like they belonged to creatures similar to The Chimaera he'd fought on Warworld. No threat to him here, since they were caged up. He could also hear several heartbeats scattered around nearby. Just as he was beginning to scan the place with his x-ray vision to find an exit, he heard sobbing coming from a room round the corner. It sounded like a young boy. His x-ray vision showed him a kid in some kind of cell.

Hurrying over, Clark forced the door open, aware that at any moment Lenaria might show up. Hell, since they knew his weakness, even one of her lackey's might be enough to stop him.

"It's alright," said Clark, standing opposite the boy and giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm getting you out of here."

"N-no, you can't… my sister…Wait, I remember you!"

The boy recoiled backwards as if Clark had pulled a gun on him. Clark held his hands up.

"It's alright, buddy. I don't blame you for sending me to Warworld. I saw Lenaria force you to do it, remember? Now, you mentioned a sister. Are there other prisoners here?"

"They'll kill her if I'm not here…"

Hoping he might get lucky, Clark performed a quick scan of the ship. This turned into a much longer scan than he'd intended, since he couldn't see any sign of the girl anywhere. He located four humans, none of whom appeared to be captives. None of them looked like Lenaria to him. It didn't look like she was on the ship. Good for him; maybe bad for someone else.

"There aren't any other prisoners here. Trust me," said Clark. The boy looked puzzled. Clark couldn't bring himself to voice two possibilities – she might well be dead already, or have been used in one of Lenaria's experiments.

"B-but, she was here…"

"Maybe someone got her out," said Clark, taking the boy's hand. "We'll find out what happened to her. If she's alright, I'll get you back to her. Promise."

He led him down the corridor.

"What's your name anyway?" he asked. He kept his voice fairly low, though he knew there was no-one close. When he'd been here before he'd had no idea just how large the place was. And there was only a skeleton crew to manage the whole place.

"Harrison. I'm really sorry about what I did. I don't know how you got back, but I'm glad. If it was just me I wouldn't have done it, but she'd have killed my sister if I'd…"

"Gah!"

Clark gasped and grabbed his head as suddenly a dozen voices echoed inside, all of them screaming out to him. He had to lean his body against the wall to remain upright. He waited for it to pass, but it kept getting stronger. He could see Harrison mouthing some words to him, but couldn't make them out.

Pinpointing the source, he hurried as fast as he could without super-speed towards it. The room it was in was packed with machinery, and in the centre was a chair with straps to hold someone in place. The sounds were coming from a machine in the corner, and Clark placed his hands on it. Instantly the voices in his head quietened.

"This… what is this…?" he asked, almost to himself.

"That's where Lenaria puts the memories she steals. Most of my… my mother's memories are in there," said Harrison, appearing alongside him. "Of course, some of them are still inside HER."

"Memories…?"

"I think we should destroy it."

"You're probably right," said Clark. "I think some of my memories are in there too. I don't like the thought much."

"I think I know how to get us out of here," said Harrison. "Lenaria showed me how to use most of the equipment here. If we can find the teleporter room, we can use it to go almost anywhere."

"It won't be hard to find – I just came from there. But there's a couple of things to deal with here first."

888

"I know you," said Lenaria, a memory springing to the front of her mind. "Ah, yes. I was sure to keep that memory. You were a worry to me when I saw you in Clark's memories. Even faster than he is. Your speed will serve me well."

She reached down to touch him and initiate the process that would enable her to steal his abilities, and her eyes widened. He was already gone. She couldn't keep up with the boy!

Spinning on her heel, she used her x-ray vision to try and find where he was hiding. A sudden urge to flee seized her. Running had saved her life more than once when it had failed to aid most of her race. What few survivors there were now remained trapped on Kandor. She had no intention of coming to their aid; her family was long gone, having died protecting her during the attack on their homeworld. The other Empireth had betrayed her, turning her over to the Kryptonian council after she'd been involved in the abduction of several Kryptonian's. The council, as she begged for mercy, had not been best pleased to learn that she'd sent them to Warworld.

Who could have known it had saved her from imprisonment in the bottle city? The day the devil had shrunk Kandor she had been awaiting trial on the other side of Krypton. The Phantom Zone had beckoned, but in the chaos following the disappearance of an entire city she had been able to escape. It was lucky that Krpyton had not yet abandoned space travel at that time. If they had there would have been no ship for her to steal.

It was several years after that when she had stolen the space station that brought her to Earth. Upon capturing the inhabitants, trapping most of them within their own minds, she determined that at long last she would stop running. She would no longer be controlled by fear. To this end she had broken every law her race had ever made. The most sacred of all being that you did not steal the abilities of another without their consent.

The meteor freaks had been perfect for her purpose. One by one she had begun collecting their powers. But she also knew one person had survived the fall of Krypton, and that forced her to remain in hiding longer than she'd intended. She had no idea who or where, only that The Last Son was somewhere on Earth. And finally, in absorbing the memories of a boy in a coma named Cyrus (whose mind was broken; it had cut her own like a knife to touch it, but her will was too strong for that to be her end) she'd seen who he was. And no wonder she'd never found him – who would have suspected a Kansas farmboy? But he was gone now, a condemned memory like the rest of Krpyton, and her legacy would take his place. Once that damned CHILD stopped hiding!

A steel pipe struck the side of her head. She snatched out but the boy leapt clear of her and grinned. He could see he was getting to her.

"You're going to have to catch me first!"

Snarling, she decided it was time to fall back on her old powers, the ones she'd been born with. The Flash blinked in surprise as suddenly, from his perspective, dozens of Lenaria's began surrounding him. She did not in truth have the ability to produce multiple forms, but the boy had no idea they were illusions. She waited as he began to move.

888

Once they concluded their business on the space station, Clark and Harrison teleported to Smallville. They couldn't manage to get themselves exactly to The Kent Farm, but they got it pretty close. It turned out Lenaria's teleporter, unlike the one on Warworld, didn't need a receiver.

"Alright, give me a minute and then I'm going to take you to my house. You'll be safe there," said Clark. He had a little side-trip he wanted to make. Leaving Harrison at a general store with a little change, Clark sped to Metropolis. Since he knew exactly what he was looking for, it didn't take him long at all. He was still smiling when he got back. Harrison looked slightly bemused. Clark had only been gone a couple of minutes, and the boy had no idea how far he'd gone in that time.

As they approached the farm, Clark tuned in with his super-hearing. Lana was there, talking with his mom. That was perfect. His heart soared. It was good to be back on Earth again. He walked right in through the front door, wondering how he could ever have taken his home for granted. It felt like a hundred years since he'd been here last, but he supposed it'd only been about a week.

"Clark!" squealed Lana, running forwards and wrapping her arms around him. His mother soon followed. Her eyes shone magnificently, telling him without need for words how glad she was to have him back. He gave Lana a lingering kiss, a kiss to linger in the memory should they ever be parted again.

Which we won't be, he thought. We won't be apart again. Not ever.

"I hope you're not about to get tired of kissing," said Clark, pausing only a beat before their lips locked again. Finally, Lana took a step back, taking a good look at him as if he might be about to disappear at any moment.

"Clark, where have you been? Are you alright?"

"My God, Clark, you're hurt…" gasped his mother, pushing his hair back to get a look at the cut above his head. He'd cleaned the blood off, and since he'd gotten back to Earth, his body had begun healing itself. But he guessed a few visible signs of his fight with Mongul were still there.

"I'm fine. I'll tell you all about it, both of you, but we've got other stuff to cover first."

"Who's this little fella?" asked Martha, noticing Harrison for the first time. Harrison looked at Clark, looking terrified, as if this were some sort of monster instead of his dear mother.

"This is Harrison. He was a captive along with me. We're going to try and help him find his sister, if we can. Can you look after him for a few minutes? Lana and I need to talk…"

"Of course. I'm so glad you're back, Clark. With your father gone, I don't…"

"It's alright, mom. We'll talk later."

Martha took Harrison's hand gently.

"I guess we'd better get you some ice-cream, young man," she said. Clark could see Harrison warming to her already.

"I want some ice-cream…" Clark said in an exaggerated whine.

"I'll bring you some over, if Harrison leaves any. What about you, Lana?"

"Sounds great."

As Martha and Harrison left, Martha giving him one last smile before she went, Clark placed his hands on Lana's shoulders. He wanted her to be looking at him as he spoke.

"You really are okay?" asked Lana, mouth tight with concern.

"Don't worry about me. What about things here? Has Lenaria done anything since I've been gone?"

"No, it's been quiet on that front. Although… Jor-El showed up after you left."

"Jor-El? What did he want?"

"Clark, he was possessing Lionel… he said we had to find Kandor without you. So I went to see Lex…"

Leading Clark into the living room, he was shocked to see a bottle sitting on the table. Inside he could see a tiny city, and a red star hanging above it, shining down on it…

"Ah, you found my city then."

Stepping in front of Lana, Clark's eyes narrowed as he saw Milton Fine leaning casually against the doorframe.

"Hello, Mr Kent. I think we need to talk."


	19. Chapter 19

Milton Fine spread his arms as Clark marched forwards and grabbed him by his shirt collar. Fine didn't resist as Clark hauled him off his feet. In fact, he actually seemed amused.

"I didn't come here for a fight, Mr Kent. I'm asking you to hear me out."

Clark shook his head. Milton Fine was someone who he'd looked up to, someone he'd trusted. For awhile he'd even believed Fine was a Kryptonian like him. But it had all been part of a scheme to trick Clark into releasing a real Kryptonian named Zod.

"I've no interest in hearing your lies."

"Is it a lie that an Empireth has absorbed your abilities?"

"What do you know about that?" asked Clark through gritted teeth. "Are the two of you working together?"

"An absurd notion. You already know I serve Zod. I would never work with such a filthy creature. However, as we know, she's grown more powerful than both of us. To that end, I've come to propose an alliance."

With a grunt of disgust, Clark let Fine drop. He turned his attention away momentarily, pretending to have dropped his guard to see if Fine would try anything. Fine said nothing, but when Clark looked back there was definitely a knowing look in his eyes. A look that said he'd have to do a lot better than that to fool him.

"And why should I trust you?"

"Simple logic, Kal-El," said Fine, switching suddenly to Clark's Kryptonian name. "If you know about Kandor, then you and Jor-El are thinking the same way I am. The armour that can be found there isn't deadly to The Empireth like Kryptonite is to you, but it will render her powerless."

"So why not just use it yourself?" asked Clark.

"Unfortunately, while it works perfectly well for humans or Kryptonians, it won't work for me. The armour cannot be attached to this body."

"Fair enough, but I still don't need you. Jor-El can retrieve the armour himself," said Clark.

"That may or may not be within his power; however, I can tell you that it would take him some time. Weeks, months perhaps. I can deliver it to you in a matter of moments. I already gave a sample to Mr Luthor, however…"

"Wait a minute… that's what you and Lex were working together on?" asked Lana.

"Miss Lang," said Fine, smiling at her. "You didn't think Lex could have stolen Kandor for you if I hadn't allowed it? I hope you were very careful handling it. Even shaking it too hard could cause an earthquake across the entire city."

"I was careful," said Lana.

"You're working with Lex?" asked Clark, eyes flashing dangerously.

"I had hoped that with his… resources, Lex would have been enough to take down The Empireth. Regrettably, I was unaware when I set that plan in motion of just how many powers the Empireth had absorbed. Traditionally they take only the powers of the person they marry; they usually marry outside their own race. During the wedding ceremony, the person willingly allows The Empireth to link with them, taking their abilities and memories, making them truly as one."

"So Lenaria's kind of a serial bigamist?" asked Lana.

"Quite," said Fine dryly. "The point is, Lex has almost no chance of getting close enough for the armour to work. There needs to be near direct contact. Which is why I've come to you. I disappeared for a reason, Kal-El. The fact that I have now reappeared should tell you how grave the situation has become. You know what my plan is, what my purpose is. To release Zod and help him conquer humanity. If Lenaria has her way, there will not be an Earth for Zod to rule. That, Kal-El, is why you can trust me."

And yet somehow I still don't, thought Clark. He reckoned Fine had told him enough of the truth to be convincing… but Fine had a way with lies that made the Luthors look almost honest. But he might not have a choice. He'd already taken steps of his own to try and narrow the gap between himself and Lenaria, but he still had no defence against her telepathic abilities. He needed that armour, and he probably did need it right away.

"Alright then. Fetch the armour," he said.

"Clark, I don't…"

"It's okay, Lana. Trust me."

Watching Clark carefully, Fine pulled a small cube from his pocket, holding it above Kandor.

"This city was some of my finest work, you know," said Fine.

"If I agree to help you, I want you to restore it to what it was," said Clark.

"Impossible. The city cannot be restored, and even if I pulled the people out, they'd be three inches tall. And they would survive only hours outside of the city anyway. Your suggestion is an empty one; you're going to help me. You see the logic in it. Your father would agree."

Clark and Lana both watched in awe as a small portal opened in the middle of the room. A strange swirling cloud swam round the edges, and Clark found himself almost mesmerised by the movement. He lost tack of the passage of time, but eventually Fine reached into it and pulled down one of the most beautifully crafted pieces of work he'd ever seen. The main body was made of a light material he didn't recognise and was a dark shade of red. Across the arms were gold plates, heavier but not so much as he would have suspected. In the centre was the symbol that Jor-El had once burned onto his chest that resembled the number eight.

"It's slender enough that you should be able to wear it under suitable clothing. I suggest you do so to ensure The Empireth does not know of it until too late," said Fine. "If you wish, I will accompany you to ensure everything goes smoothly. The Empireth can presently destroy this body with ease, but I may be able to provide a useful distraction."

"That won't be necessary," said Clark. "If I need them, I might be able to pull off a few distractions of my own. Besides which, I can't concentrate if I'm worrying about what you might be up to."

"As you wish," said Fine. "I will monitor the situation closely. Do not fail, Kal-El."

888

Bart didn't hesitate as multiple Lenaria's began surrounding him. As they launched an attack, all of them blasting at him with fire from their eyes, he weaved between them, dodging in and out, doing whatever he could to make sure they didn't pin him in too tightly. There was no way they could all be real, but as he tapped a couple to check he found they at least FELT real enough. Which meant he had to avoid all of them. And with more appearing all the time, he was running out of room to manoeuvre.

Diving through an opening he got to the outside of them, at which point he began to run around the whole group of them in a circle. Picking up momentum he was soon moving much too fast for them to keep up; as he did the air began to move around him as well. The air began to swirl and he kept going, pushing it further and further until an incredible whirlwind began drawing the Lenaria's into it. Soon after this all of the copies disappeared… it looked to him like Lenaria was having trouble concentrating. She was swept around in an arc, and Bart had a moment of satisfaction before he noticed that she was gradually managing to take control of her movements.

A disc of black energy swept from the makeshift tornado, and Bart had to duck or it would have taken his head off. Lenaria emerged unharmed, walking forwards with nothing other than minor irritation showing on her face.

Sirens were approaching. Now seemed like a good idea to draw her away from here before someone got hurt… or saw him using his powers, he admitted. Turning on his heel, he ran just fast enough to keep ahead of her, but not so fast as to have her lose track.

Except he had to stop himself very abruptly when he saw she'd gotten in front of him. But he hadn't been holding back that much, surely…

As he stopped, something suddenly slammed into him from behind. He had little time to curse himself for being fooled by the illusion; his body twisted horribly from the impact, and he landed badly. He tried to pick himself up, but his body didn't respond to his brain's commands. As he looked down he saw that the whole lower half of his body had twisted to the right. Agony consuming him, he realised he wasn't going to be able to get up.

Lenaria's shadow fell over him.

888

Pete's eyes snapped open. It was hard to judge time, but he knew over the past few hours he'd been drifting in and out of consciousness. Despair washed over him. He tried to draw in a breath, but his lungs couldn't seem to take in much air. His breathing was ragged and each rise and fall if his chest painful. He rolled over to his left into his own slowly congealing blood. The wound had surely punctured a lung.

Grimly trying to crawl forwards, knowing this was probably the last time he was going to wake up, he tried to make it to the exit. No-one was going to find him in here. But it wasn't him he was thinking of. It was Chloe. He had to let someone know what had happened, and tell them to get help.

If there was any. Clark was still gone as far as he knew, and even if he wasn't, the situation looked hopeless. That hadn't been Lana getting into the limo with Chloe and Lionel. If he hadn't known better, he'd have thought it that shape-shifter, Tina. Looked like there was another shape-shifter around.

"Chloe…" he gasped, reaching out…

888

"You think it will really work?" asked Lana once Fine had left.

"Let's hope so. Even if it doesn't… I've given myself every chance, Lana."

"This is so crazy," she said as he took her in his arms. "You come home after being sent to another planet and now you're expected to save the world. I can't wait for things to settle down."

"Lana," said Clark. "If you're waiting for things to be normal… I mean, things are always pretty crazy around me. On Warworld, I took some advice Lex once gave me. I made my enemies react to me. But most of the time I have no choice but to react to them. Someday I'd like to think I could have more control over things, but…"

"It's okay. I kind of noticed things were crazy even before I knew your secret."

"Do you regret knowing?" asked Clark. Lana's eyes shimmered.

"No. I could never regret that."

"I'm glad you feel that way," said Clark, stepping back. Lana gave him a puzzled look and he shook his head. "I've always loved you Lana, but until now I've never been able to build a future for us. I've always had to lie to you. When I was looking for your birthday present, I passed by what I really wanted to get you. I thought it could never work, because you could never know the truth. Not again. The first thing I did when I got back was go buy it for you."

He lowered himself to one knee, pulling Lana's arm out gently. In his pocket, fingers feeling almost clumsy, the found the ring he'd bought.

"Lana, will you marry me?" asked Clark, heart racing. He could feel Lana trembling as he held her hand.

"It's too much, Clark…" she said, not able to look at him. "This is all too much for me to handle."

"I'm sorry," said Clark, getting to his feet. He hastily put the ring away. "It's been such a tough week for you, I never should have…"

"No, don't be sorry," said Lana, trying and failing to fight back tears. "I love you, and you love me. But I need time to get my head around everything. I've been all over the place since I got those memories back."

"Lana… do you know why you got those memories?"

"Lenaria… I guess she wanted to…"

"Yeah, it was Lenaria who placed them inside the necklace. But she didn't even know what she was doing. When she absorbs someone's memories, she sees everything about them. For awhile, that person becomes one with her. She put those memories in a necklace to give to you because I wanted you to know. I wanted to share them with you. Now I had reasons for not doing that... but Lenaria didn't care about the risks involved. So I guess we both were responsible for what happened."

"I love you so much, Clark," said Lana. "Please wait for me."

"I'll wait for you until the last star in the sky goes out," smiled Clark sadly. He and Lana stood together in silence. Eventually his mother ran into the room, looking anxious.

"Clark, Gotham City's been attacked…"

888

Moments later, Clark arrived on the scene. He'd thrown on a coat to try and conceal the armour he was hiding underneath. But before he could try and get on Lenaria's trail, he saw there were people in need of his help. People were trapped under the rubble of collapsed houses. Clark dug them out quickly, speeding out of sight before anyone could see their rescuer. Sirens were blazing all around him, so he retreated once he made sure everyone in the immediate area was safe.

He almost walked into a man in a bat costume. He'd never actually seen the person before, but he knew the name immediately. Chloe had been looking into the guy for months.

"Batman?" asked Clark. He could see the guy was struggling to stay on his feet. Clark's x-ray vision revealed several cracked ribs and a spinal injury.

"So you made it back."

"I don't know what you mean."

"I came to your farm looking to talk to you one night. You and your girlfriend ran into some trouble. I managed to drive the attacker away and ended up on a space station."

"Uh, that all sounds a little crazy, sir."

"Doesn't it just," said Batman with no trace of humour. "There's no point lying to me. I was pretty sure you weren't human even before I got there. One question: Can you stop her?"

"I think so," said Clark.

"Then you'd better go. And Clark – when this is all over, you and I are going to need to have a talk."

"Yeah… I think we are… Bruce," said Clark, and hurried away before he saw Batman's reaction.

888

"STOP IT!" yelled Bart.

"You wouldn't deny me a chance to try my x-ray vision out, would you?" asked Lenaria. "Now, you have three broken fingers."

There was a sickening snap and Bart screamed again.

"There's four…"

Dropping his hand, she stalked around him. Initially, carrying out the destruction of Gotham had exhilarated her. And although she did derive some pleasure from torturing the boy, she found herself also feeling like she wanted to throw up. She was feeling afraid again. It made no sense to her; she was invulnerable, no-one on the planet could match her… and yet she felt afraid… and alone. She had gone so far past any other living creature, evolved to the point of godhood… and she felt scared.

She didn't understand it.

Pushing her feelings aside, she placed her hands over the boy's forehead. Once she took his powers she'd be able to move even faster than she could now.

There was an explosion in front of her. Her head jerked up in surprise, hands moving away from the boy. That had been a warning shot.

"Who's there!?" she demanded. Not another super powered person on Earth? How many of them were there?

She watched with shock as Clark Kent sped into view. Impossible!

"I rather thought you would be dead by now," she said, struggling for calm. "I had gotten used to the idea. And I'm sure I can again!"

888

Everything felt unfamiliar as Chloe awoke. The bed she was lying in was hard and uncomfortable, and the surroundings dank and sterile. She was in a prison cell. And for some reason Lionel Luthor was sitting opposite her, staring at her. His eyes looked blank.

"What happened?" she asked, words wounding slurred.

"Take a look outside the window," said Lionel, smiling grimly.

Forcing herself over on unsteady feet, she peered outside through steel bars. What she saw almost made her collapse. A giant red star hung predominately in the sky, casting a strange red tinge across the night.

"What happened to the sun?"

"I doubt our sun went anywhere," said Lionel, stroking his chin. "It's us who were moved. I strongly suspect, Miss Sullivan, that we are on Kandor."


	20. Chapter 20

Whatever was killing the space station had almost succeeded. Somehow Harrison, their only means of repairing the systems, had disappeared from the station. It happened on Edward's watch, and at the moment Lenaria was unreachable. He doubted even the kid could repair the damage done now. The lights were flickering, half the doors weren't working, communication systems were offline… the place was almost dead.

He hurried along one of the corridors, past the cells holding the mutants. The only option now was to gather Lenaria's knights together and get out of here. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned and saw George following him.

"If you're here to tell me we're up sht creek without a paddle…"

"Pretty much what I was going to say," conceded George.

"Well, don't. I already know. And I hate bad language."

"You never should have trusted Ethan."

"You think I don't know that?" he snapped. He was about to insist they get moving when he noticed the lights above the cells go from green to red.

Which meant…

"The electronic locks!" he shouted, feeling a fool for not considering the possibility earlier. George gave him a puzzled look before it turned to comprehending horror. He moved forwards just as the cell in front of him opened. George's gun appeared in his hand in a blur of movement. He got off two shots which bounced off the creature's thick skin. Lenaria had done a good job making them.

As Edward drew his own weapon, horribly aware that other doors were opening around them, a large Griffin-esque monster leapt out and it's talons tore across George's chest. Edward's mentor staggered back and lost his footing. As Edward tried to move in to help, it pinned George to the ground, holding his head in it's talons. Edward knew the creature's strength had been greatly augmented by Lenaria's experiments, and watched helplessly as George's head bulged and his skull was crushed.

Mercifully, at this point the lights failed completely.

Edward began firing indiscriminately into the darkness.

888

Lana couldn't help but stare at the city just lying around on The Kent's table. It was like something out of Gulliver's Travels, another book she had enjoyed growing up.

"If we leave it there, it's certainly going to be a conversation piece," said Martha.

"Mrs Kent," said Lana, caught by surprise. "How's Harrison?"

"He's okay. I've left him with something to eat. I made some for you as well…"

"I don't think I could eat anything right now. I left the news on, but haven't heard anything new yet. No-one's sure what's going on. I'm just so worried about Clark."

Martha took a seat next to her, holding her gently.

"No news is good news, I think. Certainly better than hearing that the TV camera's caught Clark helping somebody with his abilities."

"It's like this all the time, isn't it?"

"Not like THIS, exactly," said Martha. "But yeah, every day you have to worry that someone will learn Clark's secret. Someone less trustworthy than you, I mean."

Lana nodded.

"He asked me to marry him."

Martha raised her eyebrows.

"I said I needed some time to think about it."

"Jonathan and I knew Clark was an alien right away. He just fell out of the sky and into our lives. But although he displayed some powers, most of the time he was pretty normal growing up. The first thing that really shook us was when Lex hit him with his car, and Clark wasn't hurt at all."

"Well, better than Clark being hit with a car and ending up in hospital," said Lana, aiming for levity.

"Very true," smiled Martha. "But we realised we didn't know what we were dealing with. We just had to try and follow a crudely-drawn map. It wasn't easy, but we knew we loved Clark."

"There's so much I don't know about him."

"That's true… just remember he lied to you about what he could do. Not who he is. He's still Clark Kent. Lana, all three of us, Clark, Jonathan and me, it took us time to get used to things. You can't expect to have worked out all your feelings in a week."

"All I know is I love him."

"It's a good start," said Martha, before doing a double-take. Lana quickly saw the problem. One moment Kandor had been there, and the next…

888

"I'm going to give you one chance to surrender," said Clark. He and Lenaria circled each other warily. As she moved to the right, Clark knelt down beside Bart. His X-ray vision showed multiple injuries, and he didn't need such vision to see that the top and bottom parts of his body were out of synch. Bart still managed a pained smile, but couldn't talk. Clark smiled back, whispering that he was going to get him out of here.

"Very noble of you, Clark. However, since you cannot possibly defeat me, I'm not inclined to do so."

"You sure about that?" asked Clark, getting to his feet.

"Given that I have my telepathic abilities, your own abilities, and a dozen others I acquired from the meteor freaks on this planet, it certainly appears to be the logical conclusion. I have ascended to GODHOOD, Kryptonian."

"I just wanted to give you the chance," said Clark. "Within me I carry the hopes and dreams of the people of Krpyton. Within you, you carry the memories of those you killed in your own quest for power. It ends here. It ends NOW. If you can do it, strike me dead."

Clark spread his arms, inviting her to strike. Lenaria hesitated.

"What are you waiting for? If you've really become a Goddess, FINISH ME!"

Overcoming her doubts, she ran forwards with the speed she'd stolen from him in the first place. He saw her fist moving in, her face snarling… and saw her jaw drop as she hit him in the chest. And he didn't move. She moved to strike him again, and he caught her arm, lifting it upwards until she was standing on her toes, forced to look him in the eye. With his free hand, he unzipped his coat and two buttons on his shirt. Lenaria's eyes widened as she saw the armour underneath.

"No! You can't have that! It can't be!"

"Jor-el told me it neutralises all your abilities," said Clark, letting go of her hand. He watched her tremble, knowing she was beaten. For a second he thought she was going to try and run, but instead she fell on all fours, grovelling in front of him.

"Y-you wouldn't k-kill, me, would you, Clark? I've s-seen your memories. You're merciful! Please, I surrender! I surrender!"

Snivelling, she began kissing his feet and pleading with him. Stepping backwards, he shook his head.

"I'm not going to kill you," he said. "I'm taking you to Jor-El. Years ago, you were placed on trial on Krypton. Now you're going to be placed on trial again."

"No!" she sobbed, grabbing his leg and nesting her head against it. "You have no idea what the Phantom Zone is like, Clark. It's not like a normal prison. It's horrible! Only someone like your father would send me there! I know you're not like him. You're a good person. If you let me go…"

"I'm not letting you go," said Clark firmly, shaking his leg free of her grip. He wasn't about to be fooled by her. She'd seen his mind and was trying to play on his fears of becoming his father. She knew him dangerously well, but he wasn't about to give her any opportunity."But there may be another option. It's a mercy I'm not sure you deserve, but… I've taken control of Warworld. No prison here can hold you, but if I give the people there this armour, you could be held there."

Lenaria squirmed on her belly.

"It's barbaric! You can't send me out there to fight…"

"No fights. You'll only be held there, and you'll be treated fairly. Not like I was," he added.

He made to haul her to her feet when Bart suddenly shouted a warning.

"Clark!"

Clark spun, thinking The Empireth had tricked him somehow, but saw she was as surprised as he was. Milton Fine was standing behind him. With kryptonite.

Clark's legs buckled, his strength failing him immediately despite his attempts to endure it.

"Who are you?" asked Lenaria, scampering backwards on all fours.

"You wouldn't recognise me in this form," said Fine. "Perhaps this…?"

Trying to get back to his feet, Clark watched as Fine morphed into a strange, green-skinned figure that was as bald as Lex Luthor. Lenaria gasped and began trying to scramble away.

"The Devil!" she squealed, terrified beyond belief. Pointing a small tube-shaped device at her, she had a moment to scream before disappearing entirely. Had Fine killed her?

"Well, Clark," said Fine, reverting to his more familiar form. "I'd like to thank you for neutralising The Empireth for me. To repay the favour, I am now going to send you back home. Forever. Goodbye, Mr Kent."

888

"They'll probably start interrogating us soon," said Lionel. "We'll need to have our stories straight."

"Interrogating us?" asked Chloe, tampering with a strange band that was on her wrist. "Why would they do that?"

"Think about it. These people have had no contact whatsoever with the outside world for years, and then you and I suddenly pop in from out of nowhere. I imagine we've caused a certain amount of alarm. And I'd stop fiddling with that device on your arm, unless you want to know what it feels like to be in an environment with fifty times Earth's gravity?"

"What?" asked Chloe, quickly dropping her hand to her side.

"Jor-El downloaded a good deal of information about Krypton into my mind. It would appear that these devices create some kind of anti-gravity field around us."

"Jor-El sent us here?"

"No… Milton Fine sent us here. He came from Lex's mansion disguised as Lana, brought us here, and imprisoned us inside the bottle city. Presently, you and I are about three inches tall."

Chloe slammed the back of her head against the wall. She'd had jokes made about her height before, but this was ridiculous. She went to say so, but Lionel shushed her as footsteps could be heard. Through the bars she saw a guard escort, all of which looked human but presumably weren't. Were they Kryptonian, like Clark? Or were there no Kryptonian's in the city when it had been shrunken? It seemed like most of Kandor had been in isolation at the time.

"Chloe!?"

Chloe had thought Clark would run out of surprises one day. Apparently not. They Kandorians were escorting both he and a trembling woman she didn't recognise. Both Lionel and she were instructed to step back from the door, and Clark and the woman were ushered inside. Clark, looking shocked, hugged her while the woman collapsed in the corner, wrapping her arms around her knees and crying hysterically.

"Clark, what happened? How did you get here?"

"Milton Fine. I was stupid enough to get caught by him," said Clark.

"Well, you're not alone there," said Lionel. "I'm glad to see you, son. Although I suppose… you're not going to be much use here, are you?"

"What do you mean?" asked Clark. Lionel gestured to the window.

"A red sun?"

"Artificially created I'd guess, but without yellow sunlight…"

"I have no power here…"

Chloe suddenly remembered something. She pulled the kryptonite she'd brought with her out of her pocket.

"And this hasn't affected you either…"

"Do you know who that woman is?" asked Lionel, looking at the woman who was rather unhelpfully sobbing in the corner.

"That's Lenaria," said Clark.

"The fearsome Empireth we were warned about?" snorted Lionel. "She cuts an imposing figure, I can tell you that."

"Lana told me you were… sent by Jor-El to help," said Clark.

"And a good job I've made of it," said Lionel.

"Fools!" snivelled Lenaria, chewing her hair nervously. "We're all dead! All the devil has to do is shake the bottle and…"

Clark sat down next to Lenaria. It wasn't meant to be comforting. He wanted to stay in close contact to make sure her powers didn't come back. If they did, they were all in trouble. While she probably needed yellow sunlight to use the abilities she'd taken from him, the others were likely a different story. There was a chance the meteor powers wouldn't work – he wasn't sure if Kryptonite had no power here or if his body just wasn't vulnerable to it – but her Empireth talents would.

"He's not likely to do that, is he? He's kept the city for years. It's like a prized possession, I guess," said Clark. Lenaria grabbed his shirt.

"You have to take the armour off. If we're to survive, I'll need my powers back. I can use them to take over the city. Don't you see? It's the only way!"

"What you mean," said Clark, "is that as soon as someone recognises you, you're going to be executed."

Slamming her fists against the wall in frustration, she began crying again. It was a pitiful sight, but Clark didn't feel too sorry for her. She'd brought this upon herself.

"She's right, Clark," said Lionel finally.

"What?"

"Oh, not about taking over. But she's the only one of us who has any real power here. We're going to need it if we want to escape."

"Escape where?" asked Clark. "There's no way out of the bottle. Besides which, she might look pathetic now, but she'll kill us if we give her her abilities back."

"Not if she wants out of here," smiled Lionel. "You see, Jor-El gave me some very detailed knowledge that might just get us home. And since I'm the only one on Kandor who knows about it, she's going to need us alive. But working together is our only chance."


	21. Chapter 21

Sergeant Preus paced his office as the scientists told him, in a very long-winded and round-about way, that they had no idea how these outsiders had arrived in the city. He slammed his fist against his desk to silence them. If there had been any real Kryptonian scientists left on Kandor, he was certain they would have been able to tell him something. Instead he was left only with useless alien filth. Why had no-one from Krypton arrived to rescue them? The question had haunted his dreams for years.

It had taken him a great deal of time to establish any kind of order after the devil had cut them off from the rest of the planet. With few pure Kryptonians in the city at the time, he'd actually been forced to compromise his ideals and work with the impure in order to ensure the city's survival. Those who had refused to work with him had been killed or forced to the outermost edges of the city. Everything he did was to ensure the safety and well-being of his people, and prepare them for the day they rejoined Krypton.

There had been order. And now four outsiders had impossibly made their way into the city. Panic was quickly spreading, and the Citizens Patrol Corps had been forced to deal with several out of control situations.

"There are questions that need be answered, Sergeant," said one of the scientists. As if he didn't already know that! The ugly purple-skinned creature trembled under his gaze. "Two of them are wearing anti-gravity devices. Two of them are not. They both arrived at different times. Perhaps they are from two different races?"

"There are more than enough races on Kandor as it is," growled Preus. "This is getting us nowhere. I'm heading to the cells to begin the interrogation. In the mean time, find out where they came in!"

888

"Once we're out of prison, we need to split up into two teams. There are several key elements that are going to have to come together to ensure our escape. Clark and I will handle two of those, Chloe and Lenaria the other," said Lionel.

"Not a chance," said Clark. "Chloe isn't going anywhere with her."

"You don't have to worry, Clark," said Lenaria. "It's in my own interests to co-operate."

"Not that I want to give her any ideas," said Chloe. "But once the armour stops shielding her powers, what's to stop her from reading your mind and working on this herself?"

Lionel smiled.

"Oh, I don't think she's going to try that. For one thing, Jor-El almost certainly set some trap in case The Empireth considered trying to absorb his vessel's memories. Secondly, all she'll see is that we need Clark and myself if this to work."

"But not me?" asked Chloe glumly.

"There has to be another way," said Clark firmly. "I'm not letting anything happen to Chloe."

"If you have your own idea, I'll listen, Clark. Otherwise…" said Lionel.

"It's okay, Clark. We all want to get out of here, right?" said Chloe. "So what exactly is your plan?"

"Lenaria, you know Kandor fairly well, correct?" asked Lionel.

"I used to," said Lenaria. Clark noticed she had pulled herself together somewhat since they'd begun discussing escape. "It may have changed since I was last here."

"We'll have to hope it hasn't changed too much. You and Chloe are going to have to head for the Space Centre and steal a shuttle. Since Kandor wasn't part of Kypton when space travel was abandoned, we should still be able to get one."

"And go where?" asked Clark. "All we can do is get to the edge of the bottle."

"That's what you and I are going to look at," said Lionel. He waved for silence as footsteps could be heard approaching. "Let me do most of the talking."

"Outsiders," said the figure. Clark almost gasped as he saw him. He was wearing the same armour as he was. Lenaria cringed when she saw him; he could see she was trying to hide her face. "Who are you and how did you get here?"

"Preus… that armour… so, you've been promoted?" asked Lionel, looking at the floor.

"Do I know you?"

"I am a vessel, chosen by Jor-El. These are my servants, Chloe and Le… Leandra," said Lionel. He'd remembered just in time not to use Lenaria's name. "And this is Jor-El's son, Kal-El. He has come to save your people."

Preus blinked. Clark could see some conflicting emotions in his eyes.

"If that's true, then…the prophecy…"

"I don't know about any prophecy," said Clark, getting to his feet. "But I am Jor-El's son."

"Prove it to me," said Preus, eyes narrow. Clark hesitated. He had no power here, but Preus had to know that. Instead, he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the armour Fine had stolen for him.

"He gave me this," said Clark.

Preus turned his head away. Clark was surprised to see he was crying.

"So Krypton survives! I had nightmares of it being destroyed. I was so afraid. But you're here! We're rescued!"

"Not just yet," said Lionel. "Jor-El gave his son a… mission to carry out here. He said you were to provide him with aid. Release us immediately."

Preus didn't even hesitate, unlocking the door and escorting them along the corridor.

"I'm glad to meet you, Kal-El," said Preus. "Although I must say I am… surprised that you brought these aliens with you. Jor-El always was too trusting of other species."

"You're a Kryptonian?" asked Clark, not sure he cared for Preus' 'aliens' remark.

"Same as you. You understand, of course, these three will have to be executed?"

Clark watched as Lenaria and Chloe froze. Only Lionel seemed unsurprised.

"Quite, Sergeant. However, until Kal-El's mission is complete…"

"I understand," said Preus. "What other aid can I offer you, son of Jor-El?"

"No need for anything else right now, Sergeant," said Lionel.

888

Outside the prison cell, it finally hit Clark that he'd actually come home. This place, isolated from the rest of the universe, was all that remained of Krypton. And now he was seeing it with his own eyes, walking on it with his own feet. And it was… incredible…The architecture of the buildings was unlike anything seen on Earth. And there were colours here…

"Colours like I've never seen," said Chloe, looking around in awe. "Clark, this is your home! And it's… it's wonderful…"

Chloe gasped as a motorcycle flew overhead.

"The people here can fly," said Clark.

"Things can be made to fly," said Lionel. "Thanks to the gravity and red sun, people are grounded. "

Clark shook his head. Amazing. Milton Fine had committed a terrible crime, trapping these people. Yet ironically he had preserved the memory of Krypton.

"If we're quite through being amazed," said Lenaria. "Why didn't you order Preus to simply acquire a ship for us?"

"Don't remember Preus, do you?" asked Lionel. "He's completely xenophobic. It must have driven him mad, being forced to co-exist with other races. He'll never allow any of us to leave here, only Kal-El. If we'd asked him to give us a shuttle, we would have likely been executed on the spot. And don't think you can give him orders, Clark. He outranks you."

"You told him Krypton was still out there," said Clark.

"No, I merely allowed him to believe that. If I'd told him the truth, I dread to think of the consequences. We've no time to waste. Clark, you come with me. Lenaria and Chloe, you have your mission."

Clark pulled Chloe to one side first.

"Chloe, are you sure about this?"

"We don't have much choice, do we? Although I have to ask… doesn't part of you want to stay here? Doesn't it feel like you belong?"

"So far, I've seen the prisons and met a xenophobe. I'm not too enamoured with the place just yet. Besides… I kind of asked Lana to marry me."

"And what did she say?" asked Chloe, not looking surprised.

"She needs time to think about it."

"Well, you're certainly giving her plenty of space," smiled Chloe. "Seriously, getting sent to another planet once was misfortune. Twice is looking like carelessness."

"I'll see you soon, okay?"

After Lionel had left them all with further instructions, Clark watched as Chloe and Lenaria hurried off. Once she had spent a little time away from the armour, Lenaria's powers would be restored. Clark hoped he was doing the right thing.

888

Lionel was quiet as he escorted Clark through the streets, allowing him to take in the sights for himself. Clark marvelled at how the people seemed to be going about their daily lives as if nothing about their predicament were strange. He also saw a number of robots of advanced design who appeared to assist their owners with menial tasks. The species here were as diverse as they had been on Warworld; unlike that place, however, everyone seemed to get along with one another. He didn't understand what Preus had against them; they looked like good people.

"Ah, here we are," said Lionel. Clark couldn't hide his surprise. They'd stopped outside The Museum of Kryptonian history. "Let's go inside and take a look, shall we?"

"Lionel, how is this going to help us?"

Shaking his head, Lionel took him inside. Lionel elaborated on several exhibits, telling him of Jax-Ur, the first criminal to be imprisoned in the Phantom Zone after destroying one of Krypton's moons. He also learned Krypton had advanced cloning technology; this led him to something about The Eradictor, though on this subject Lionel would not tell him anything.

Fascinating though it was, Clark still didn't see the point.

"Trust me," said Lionel. Clark couldn't hide his frustration. Chloe could be in big trouble; why was Lionel wasting time like this? "The zoo next, I think."

Ignoring Clark's protests, Lionel took him to the zoo, which Clark was willing to bet was more than he'd ever done with Lex. The species were impressive, no question (and included a type of mole which Lionel told him could eat through metal) but got them no closer to freedom.

"Enough!" snapped Clark finally. "You're going to tell me what's going on right now!"

"Do you feel it, Clark?"

"Feel what?"

"Do you feel a connection to this place? Do you feel anything at all?"

"I… I guess so," said Clark, confused. "I want to help these people, if I can. I want to restore the city to what it was. I wish Lana could see it. If she could, maybe we could both understand who I'm supposed to be. Who I am."

"I think that's good enough then," said Lionel, looking at him carefully. "Clark, the reason I took you on this tour was to show you your heritage. Only once you had accepted it could I begin the next phase of my plan. The sun you see in the sky? Completely artificial. The Kandorian's created it to survive. But one of them also created artificial yellow sunlight that could restore your abilities long enough to help us."

"I don't understand," said Clark. "Even with my gifts, we still can't get out of here."

"Oh, but we can. You noticed the bottle we're trapped in has a lid? If we could push the lid off…"

"We could escape outside. Except even with a shuttle, I can't get to it."

"You won't be on the shuttle, Clark. There is one gift you have never mastered. Hopefully, with Jor-El's knowledge, I will teach it to you. You're going to have to learn how to fly."

888

Scrolling through the computer files, Preus wasn't sure what he was looking for. He thought there was something… familiar about one of the prisoners. He tried searching for the name 'Leandra' but nothing came up. Acting on instinct, he scrolled through photos of criminals known to be at large. He saw nothing useful. Trying again, he searched for criminals awaiting trial. The files here ended the day Kandor had been taken by the devil. And as he searched, he found what he was looking for.

The Empireth. Lenaria. On trial for kidnapping Kryptonians. His blood boiled. She'd been in the cell with'Kal-El'. But he saw through the deception now. This was all an Empireth trick. He'd had all Empireth on Kandor massacred after the city was taken. Their kind was the worst of all, infecting minds and stealing abilities. They were poison. And now one was here, in his city.

He didn't know who was aiding her, but he knew now Kal-El was a fake. They must all be destroyed. He would alert the rest of the C.P.C to their presence and ensure they were all eliminated. The city would be kept safe. It was his duty.


	22. Chapter 22

"My powers are still somewhat erratic," said Lenaria as her body shimmered. Chloe watched as her appearance changed completely. Her height was reduced, her body became slightly plump and her hair went from brown to red. Her whole face changed, removing the mole on her cheek and aging her slightly. Her clothes also altered to make her fit in better with the locals. "I'll have to hope I can maintain this illusion."

"Are you going to be able to pull this off?" asked Chloe, feeling awkward trying to converse with her. "Because I don't think my press pass is going to get us very far…"

"We'll manage," said Lenaria, looking thoughtful. "I do not intend on spending the rest of my days trapped in this place. I managed to escape Krypton once before; I'm sure I can manage again."

Making their way through a residential area, Lenaria led her through a tunnel that connected to another part of the city. Even with her disguise, Lenaria constantly looked afraid of being recognised. Chloe noticed tiny slips in the illusion at times; parts of her hair seemed to want to change colour, or the mole on her cheek reappeared.

"You know, Chloe," said Lenaria, looking at her almost as if she were embarrassed. "I could be a great source of information to you. Krypton is only one of the planets I have seen in my life. We could come to some sort of… agreement, you and I. You'd become the most famous reporter on Earth. Clark plans to send me to Warworld, but he would listen to you…"

"So you escape justice again?" asked Chloe. "I can't say I'm not tempted, but I'm afraid it's up to Clark how to deal with you."

Lenaria fell silent. She actually looked like she was sulking. Chloe felt much like doing the same. To think of all the things she could have learned! Still, maybe she could get at least something out of her. Well, Lenaria, Clark was planning on torturing you today, but I might be able to talk him out of it if you'll tell me about…

She shook her head. That was more of a Lois tactic.

888

Although Martha was insistent she didn't have to, Lana gave her a bit of a helping hand around the farm as they waited for news on Clark. She hated not knowing what was going on. There had been no more attacks, but if Lenaria had been stopped, why hadn't Clark come back? Her mind went through so many possible scenarios, all of which served only to worry her even more.

I can't lose him now, she thought. Not when I know what my answer is. What I've known it's been all along, but was too afraid to see.

Someone knocked on the open barn door. Slightly startled, she turned to see a man dressed in a bat-like costume. She'd heard stories about someone called Batman, but what on Earth was he doing here?

Something to do with Clark, she thought, terror seizing her.

"Batman?"

"My reputation must be spreading, if you've heard of me way out here."

"A friend of mine is kind of a fan," she said. She noticed he moved slightly awkwardly, as though hurt. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Batman, sounding almost annoyed by the question. "I'm looking for Clark."

"Uh, he's not here. I don't know where he is right now."

"He hasn't come back?"

"I haven't heard from him in hours," she said.

"I see… When he turns up, tell him Bart Allen is going to be fine. I got him to the hospital. And let him know that he'll be hearing from me," said Batman. For some reason the way he said it made Lana shiver.

Batman turned to leave, stopping as Harrison ran into the barn.

"Lana, Clark's mom wanted me to ask if you wanted a glass of… Uh, hello…" said Harrison, noticing Batman.

"And goodbye," said Batman, stepping around the boy.

"No thanks, Harrison," said Lana. Batman stopped where he was, turning to look closely at the boy.

"Harrison? Not Amy's brother?"

"You know Amy?" asked Harrison, looking like he was about to grab Batman before thinking better of it. "Do you know where she is?"

"She's somewhere safe now. She's fine. Worried about you, actually. Let me guess… Clark rescued you?"

"Uh, yeah," said Harrison. "Can you take me to her?"

"Not a problem. We'll be going by helicopter."

"Awesome! Just let me say goodbye to Senator Kent first, okay?"

While Harrison hurried off, melting Lana's heart with the look of genuine happiness on his face, she and Batman stood in awkward silence.

"Get down!" said Batman, suddenly tensing, hand going straight to his belt. He moved quickly to the right, disappearing into the shadows as two bullets narrowly missed him. Lana screamed, throwing herself to the ground, wondering how someone had managed to sneak up behind her. Looking to see what was happening, she saw the shooter smiling at her before falling to the floor. Batman hadn't even touched him; in his hand was a strange looking boomerang which he put away when he saw the attackers condition.

Edward was bleeding badly. Part of his chest looked like it had been torn open, and his blood mingled with the hay in the barn. The worst thing was looking at his head. The skin on his forehead had been partially ripped off, leaving a horrible piece of skin that flapped about wildly. Batman knelt down beside him, sweeping the gun up as he did.

"He needs medical attention right away," said Batman. Lana pulled out her cell phone and called for an ambulance, wondering what could possibly have happened to him.

888

Clark was glad he and Lionel were finally getting somewhere. Their next destination was an abandoned laboratory which had various pieces of equipment scattered around the place. Not all of it looked in working order.

"This place used to belong to a Professor Kimda," Lionel explained. "He and Jor-El were roommates in college for a time."

"What happened to him?"

"No idea. I'd guess he might have been on Krypton when it exploded," said Lionel, looking around with great interest. "Ah, here we are."

He strode over to a machine that looked to Clark remarkably like a sun-bed.

"Well, at least I'll have a nice tan for the trip home," he said.

"This machine will allow you to store a limited amount of artificial yellow sunlight in your cells, allowing you to use your abilities here. I don't know how much time you'll have. If it runs out at the wrong time…"

"We don't have much choice, do we?" said Clark. He climbed into the machine, hoping it still worked. Lionel hit a few buttons, and Clark closed his eyes as he became enveloped in light. The process was over in moments, and Lionel gave him a hand out.

"Did it work?" asked Lionel. Clark sped around behind him.

"Looks like it," he said. "But am I going to be able to fly before it wears off? I mean, it always takes time for me to adjust to using any new abilities…"

"I think so, son. This is something you were born to do."

888

Lex had to admit he felt a certain amount of pride wearing the armour Fine had provided him with. It made him feel like a real leader, striding into battle. He felt like he was Alexander the Great or something.

Around him were twenty hand-picked men and women from Level 33.1. Some of them were showing visible signs of the heat. The Kalahari was only considered a semi-desert, since it supported a reasonable amount of plant and animal life. And it also held something else, apparently.

The sheer size of the space station awed him completely. He couldn't even see all of it from where he was standing. It was now he began to realise the severity of the task ahead. Fine told him he'd shut down the systems somehow, so they didn't have to worry about the ships own defences. They just had to worry about whatever was inside.

"Begin!" he called, giving the signal for them to push forwards. One man, chosen for his remarkable physical strength, strode up to the station and tore one of the doors clean off, tossing it aside like a toy.

Several of his small army went ahead of him, fanning out as much as the narrow corridors allowed. Fine had given Lex only a vague idea of what to expect. A horrible screeching noise alerted the team to the danger ahead. Charging down the corridor towards them was a beast straight out of legend. Lex knew it as a Griffin. Even as it approached he marvelled at its existence. The three meteor freaks at the front prepared to meet it head on.

888

Getting into the space port was easy, thanks to Lenaria's powers. All she had to do was wave her empty hand at the guards and they saw, very clearly, the appropriate identification. It was too bad Clark didn't have psychic powers, thought Chloe. They'd have come in handy many a time. On second thought, why should Clark get all the powers anyway? Psychic powers were wasted on the noble. It was too bad SHE didn't have any.

It was all going so well that she supposed what happened next was inevitable. Walking confidently amongst the security guards as Lenaria attempted to find a suitable vessel, she overheard commands being given by an important looking grey skinned alien. She realised they were giving her description. She shared a look with Lenaria. It looked like she'd heard as well.

The Empireth turned and Chloe saw a blast of dark energy being emitted from Lenaria's palm. It burst through the neck of one of the guards, severing it so badly his head barely stayed on his body. As he fell, two next to him raised their weapons. Chloe looked around for cover, diving behind a corner as they opened fire. She saw they were using energy weapons, and a powerful beam headed straight for Lenaria. Chloe was certain the Empireth was about to be killed, but the beam never even connected, instead bouncing off some kind of shield harmlessly. Lenaria shot two quick bursts of energy at the men, more powerful than the last. The men were two smoking corpses in seconds. More guards were running towards them now, firing wildly. Most of them were on target, but were simply reflected by the barrier.

It happened much too quickly for Chloe to react. She barely had time to take it in as one of the blasts was reflected off the barrier towards her. Lenaria took out the guards as the beam tore through Chloe's stomach and she fell to the ground, the world around her seeming a long way away, the sounds of the battle seeming so unimportant now…


	23. Chapter 23

Once the present danger had passed Lenaria turned her attention to Chloe. Her instincts told her to run – her powers were still not in perfect working order, and if Preus or anyone wearing that infuriating armour turned up…

"That looks unpleasant," she said, kneeling down next to the girl. Chloe didn't look terribly aware of what was going on, but she managed to look at her with pleading eyes. Lenaria snorted in disgust. Instead of helping her, she reached into her pocket, stealthily taking the small piece of Kryptonite Chloe had brought along with her. It wouldn't affect Clark here, but she didn't want him hurt while he was still useful anyway. Later though, it could come in very handy.

Tempting though it was to abandon the girl, Lenaria placed her hands over the wound and closed her eyes. Fortunate that she'd taken the time to learn how to use the healing ability. There was little to gain in restoring Chloe, but she couldn't risk Clark turning against her at the moment. Light emanated from her palms, and she concentrated on closing the wound. It wasn't easy, since she had never attempted to heal such a severe wound before, but in moments (though to Lenaria, fearfully aware of danger, it felt far longer) Chloe was sitting up. There was a puzzled look on her face.

"You saved me," she said.

"If we don't hurry we're both dead," hissed Lenaria, hauling Chloe to her feet and dragging her along. Someone had triggered the alarm, and the blaring siren became their soundtrack while they fled along a sequence of corridors. A couple of guards caught up to them, but Lenaria disposed of them with ease. Chloe shuddered as she saw their faces practically melt after Lenaria's energy based attacks.

A door took them outside to the docking bay. A small blue ship sat waiting for them to hijack. Or at least, Lenaria hoped it did.

"Do you know how to fly it?" asked Chloe, eyes looking all around.

"This is how I escaped Krypton before, remember?" said Lenaria, fingers searching the ship for the mechanism to open the door. She'd just found it when a trickle of fear ran along her spine.

Preus was here. Accompanied by a dozen officers, he flew overhead on a motorcycle equipped with anti-gravity technology. Even when powerless, people on Krypton were not meant to be grounded. With a shriek of rage she began trying to blast him out of the sky, grabbing Chloe with her other hand and dragging her inside the ship. Preus' motorcycle proved too manoeuvrable as he spun furiously to dodge the attacks.

As the door closed and Lenaria tried to get the dratted thing airborne, the ship shook as the guards outside opened fire on it. Chloe had to grab onto the control panel to stop from falling over. Lenaria pushed her aside irritably. She was more afraid than she had ever been, except for the day those soldiers had found her and her parents. Back then she had cowered under her bed while her parents died protecting her. It was something she had always been grateful for, but had never understood, the fact that they had sacrificed themselves. As far as she was concerned, her own survival was all that mattered. And she would survive this.

The ship, while shaken, proved durable enough to survive the initial assault. After several anxious moments they managed to take off, still under a barrage of fire. Lenaria had no real plan other than to get away from the immediate danger. She might have recovered enough to mind-wipe the soldiers, but Preus' armour would protect him from any psychic interference. And the ship had no offensive capabilities to speak of, as far as she knew.

"We have to find Clark," said Chloe, raising her voice to be heard above the noise of lasers hitting off the ship. "He and Lionel might be in trouble too."

Charging straight into more danger was not something which particularly appealed to Lenaria at the moment. Neither, however, did having her only chance of escape die along with the pair of them. While she couldn't see the bottle they were imprisoned in, she felt perfectly claustrophobic all the same. She and Chloe breathed a sigh of relief as they left the range of the hand weapons. Their reprieve did not last long.

"There's another ship in pursuit," she said, checking the systems. "Preus is following us."

"This is your fault, you know," said Chloe. "No kidnappings on my record. So what exactly do we do now?"

Lenaria didn't answer. She'd brought up the image of the other ship on a view-screen, and was watching it intently, her bottom lip trembling. She was too scared to even move. In her haste to escape, she'd chosen her ship badly. Theirs had no offensive weapons. Preus' had several gun turrets that were turning towards them now. She had no idea what to do. All she could think of were her parents dying, and her hiding under the bed…

888

If not for the dire circumstances they were in, Clark knew this would be one of the greatest moments of his life. It would have been improved, of course, if he'd been holding Lana in his arms instead of Lionel Luthor, who was grimly holding on to his hand. Still though, he felt incredible as he soared over the only surviving piece of his home world.

"I'm going to have to speed up," roared Clark. Lionel gulped. Clark enjoyed a guilty moment of pleasure at having him looking so uncomfortable. "Chloe could be in trouble."

Far below, he could see chaos tearing through the city. He wasn't sure what had happened, but it looked like Preus had sent a legion to try and track the four of them down. With his powers temporarily restored, Clark had been able to get himself and Lionel to safety without hurting anyone. He'd have to hope that if Chloe and Lenaria had ran into trouble, Chloe had been kept safe.

Following Lionel's directions, concentrating fully to keep himself in control (he had a nasty feeling that if he lost focus he would simply drop out of the sky like a stone) he headed for the space port. Using his telescopic vision to look ahead, he soon found what he was looking for. Two ships had just taken off, one in pursuit of the other. The smaller vessel was coming under fire. His x-ray vision showed him that Lenaria and Chloe were inside. Lenaria was huddled crying again, while Chloe was shaking her desperately, trying to bring her round.

"I have to help them," he said, landing quickly on top of a building and leaving Lionel there. Running to the edge, feeling slightly uncertain that he'd be able to take off again, he leapt and was pleasantly surprised when he managed not to fall. Due to the heavy gravity he wasn't as strong here as he was on Earth, but he'd have to hope he could compensate enough to deal with the situation. Flying in front of the smaller vessel, he raised his arms and deflected the lasers that were shooting out of the turrets so that they flew harmlessly off into the sky. Using his heat vision, he tried to destroy one of them, but even a concentrated burst seemed to have limited effect. Like the ship that had taken him to Earth, it was difficult to destroy, and with his powers not at full strength, he didn't think he could do much damage.

Chloe's ship turned and began speeding away. It looked like Chloe had been able to bring Lenaria around. He used his x-ray vision on the other ship, noticing Preus barking orders. His eyes looked utterly mad. He didn't have time to examine further, as Chloe's ship was no longer Preus' only target. He was coming under heavy fire himself, and he couldn't risk being hit too many times. Instead he used his speed to dodge the attacks aimed at himself, and intercepted only the one's that might harm Chloe. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for long, he knew.

They had to make a break for it right now. Using all the speed he had at his disposal, he flew back to Lionel, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him over to Chloe's ship. He had to spin to block a laser that would have struck the ship, taking it's full force on his back to protect Lionel. Fortunately someone on board knew what he was trying to do, and the door opened. Chloe, holding on to the edge for dear life, helped pull Lionel on board.

"We're heading straight for the bottleneck!" shouted Clark.

"How did you get your powers back?" asked Chloe. "And since when can you FLY!?"

"Lionel can explain. But it's only temporary, so if we don't go now, we're not going at all!" he shouted. Chloe nodded. Using his telescopic vision again, Clark tried to find where the bottle's lid might be. Knocked back by another laser hit, this time to the chest, he lost concentration for a moment.

"There!" he said to himself, grabbing the small ship and trying to turn it in the right direction. It wasn't easy; his strength really had been cut badly here. It would have been handy if he could have just slapped Preus' ship out of the sky.

Once pointing the right way, Lenaria wasted no time in getting out of there. Clark flew along after them. Helpfully, Lenaria was now dodging out of the way of some of the attacks, reducing Clark's workload. Clark had a moment of uncertainty as they left Kandor behind and entered space, but Lionel had told him he'd be fine out here. Apparently Kryptonian's could hold their breath for a very long time.

Preus was relentless. Clark was able to use his heat vision to deflect some of the assault, but it was beginning to wear him down. He tried again to damage the weapons systems, without success. If only he could try and reason with him.

Except suddenly the assault ceased. Clark remained tensed, wondering if Preus was planning something. And then he noticed the ship's reflection against the glass. They were in the bottle neck. Preus didn't want to risk breaking the glass. He had no idea what might happen if he did.

Chloe's ship had stopped; Clark knew now was his moment. He would have to leave her ship exposed, but he had no choice. Flying around them, he rushed to the lid of the bottle. Pushing with all his might, he found it wouldn't budge. He refused to give up. If he couldn't push it off, they were finished. He'd never see Lana again, never get to hear what her answer might be. Never get to lift her into his arms and take her into the sky with him. With one last Herculean effort, he felt the lid start to shift. Straining himself, veins bulging, he forced it off and saw freedom outside.

Preus, no longer having to fear Clark diverting a blast and sending it to the glass, opened fire. Clark's eyes widened as he flew back, but couldn't make it in time. The blasts struck the ship dead on, and Clark watched fearfully as it disappeared amongst a series of explosions.

Intercepting the remains of the payload, he spun furiously and flew behind Chloe's ship. He could see inside that everyone had been knocked over; Lionel in particularly had a nasty cut on his forehead. With what little strength he had left he pushed the ship forwards, feeling he might pass out just from the effort involved. Just as he thought his body was going to quit on him, he managed to push them out through the opening and back to Earth.

He was pleasantly surprised to find he was full size, but he could wonder about that later. First he replaced the lid on the bottle before Preus could follow them out. With that done he turned to the ship. Damaged beyond repair, it was also full size. His powers now fully restored, he sped to the door and pulled it open. Chloe and Lenaria were struggling back to their feet. Lionel was out cold. Clark carried him out, Chloe and Lenaria following. They were in an abandoned warehouse, sunlight (of the good old yellow kind) filtering in through the windows. Clark wondered how long they'd been gone.

"This is where Fine brought Lionel and I," said Chloe, after thanking him for the rescue.

"Let's hope he's not around," said Clark, taking Lenaria by the arm. He didn't plan on letting her have her powers back. He was about to escort her out of the warehouse when he noticed a trail of blood on the floor. At the end of it he found Pete.

"Oh my God," said Chloe, hurrying over to his side, Clark in hot pursuit.

"He's still alive," said Clark, checking Pete's heart with his X-ray vision.

"Lenaria, you have to heal him," said Chloe.

"Oh, I don't think so," said Lenaria, eyes narrow. Clark turned to look at her and before he even saw it, felt the kryptonite in her hand. His strength vanished instantly. Lenaria elbowed Chloe in the side of the head, knocking her off her feet. She turned casually and lifted the bottle city in her hands, looking inside with a wicked smile.

"No…" gasped Clark, reading her intent. He reached out to try and grab her.

She threw the bottle against the wall. A weak wail escaped Clark's throat as the glass shattered instantly.

"Oh my. How clumsy of me."


	24. Chapter 24

The planet Krypton had been lost despite Jor-El's best efforts to save it from destruction. And now Clark had apparently been powerless to save what was left of it. Crawling feebly forwards, unable to believe so many lives had been lost in an instant, he caught a sharp kick in the teeth from Lenaria.

"How could you do that?" asked Clark weakly. Lenaria placed a foot on his back, enjoying seeing him helpless. Clark tried to throw her off, but he just didn't have the strength.

"You cannot destroy the legacy of Krypton so easily, Empireth."

Lenaria stepped away from Clark, looking around fearfully as Lionel got to his feet. Where the bottle city had been thrown, Clark could see a sphere of light, almost like a tiny sun, surrounding the city of Kandor. The city was still intact!

"Jor-El," hissed Lenaria, dropping the kryptonite next to Clark as she quickly moved backwards.

"Surrender yourself now or receive the same mercy you would show the citizens of Kandor," said Jor-El. Clark could see that Lionel's eyes had gone completely white.

"You can keep Kandor," said Lenaria, face contorted with fear and rage. "It will serve as a reminder of what a shit-hole planet Krypton was."

A magnificent aura surrounded Lionel then, and for just as second he looked to Clark like some golden warrior, perhaps sent from Heaven itself. This was clearly enough for Lenaria, who squealed and fled from the building as quickly as she could, almost tripping over in her desperation to escape. Clark half expected the aura to follow her and obliterate her, but instead it faded. Jor-El did nothing as The Empireth escaped.

With what little strength remained in him, Clark managed to grab the Kryptonite that had landed next to him and throw it far enough away that he escaped it's effects. It took him a few moments to recover. The first thing he did was check Chloe, who groaned and sat up.

"You alright, Chloe?"

"Don't worry about me, Clark. You have to go after her."

Clark nodded, but his special sight quickly showed him he was too late. Lenaria must have recovered enough of her powers to make a quick escape once she was away from the armour.

"Why didn't you stop her?" he asked Jor-El.

"Despite what you may believe, Kal-El, I am not all-powerful. At the moment, it is all I can do to preserve the city of Kandor."

"How can I help?"

"Have no fear. I will take the city to The Fortress, where I will be able to store it safely. You must complete the mission I gave to you and destroy The Empireth yourself."

Clark nodded. That wasn't going to be easy, now that she knew about the armour. She'd use whatever tactic she could to make sure he couldn't use it against her again. His eyes widened as he realised he had 'weaknesses' of his own. Lana could be in trouble. But he couldn't go straight there either; Pete was barely hanging on. He had to get him to the hospital and hope that Lenaria wouldn't make her move just yet.

888

"Where is Lenaria now?" demanded Batman. Edward's eyes flickered and he smiled weakly.

"Last I heard she was in Gotham."

"She's not there now," said Batman. "And Gotham isn't destroyed either. Looks like she ran into trouble."

"She's a Goddess," said Edward, struggling to breathe. "What could stop her?"

Lana could see Edward didn't have much time left. Even if the ambulance showed up, she wasn't sure there was much they could do for him. He'd lost an incredible amount of blood. Batman knelt down by Edward's side. For a moment Lana thought he was going to tear the loose flap of skin from his head.

"Good question," said Batman.

"Why did you come here?" asked Lana.

"Hah," said Edward, coughing horribly. It sounded like one of his lungs might pop out of his mouth any time. "Didn't mean to. Had to pick one of the previously used locations at random. Left in kind of a hurry. Could have ended up on a nice beach somewhere. Instead I get to die here."

Lana was about to say something, but was cut off as something swept through the barn. It was little more than a blur, but it sent hay flying all over the place as it entered.

Batman's hand moved so fast it was a blur to Lana's eyes too, but it never even got close to his belt before he was pinned against a support beam. A kind of dark energy wrapped itself around his neck like a collar, trapping him against the beam. Batman tried again to go for his belt, but similar coils of energy restrained his hands.

"Edward?" said the figure, finally slowing enough that Lana got her first look at her. "What happened to you?"

"The station's finished. The mutants got loose. Everyone dead. I'm all that's left, and I'm not going to last much longer."

"You… you're The Empireth?" asked Lana, wondering how she could help Batman. Lenaria's head snapped round as if she'd been slapped.

"Wait!" gasped Edward, jerking so that his chest wound opened even more. "They tried to help me. Don't kill them now. It wouldn't be right."

"Sit back," said Lenaria in soothing tones, hand brushing Edward's cheek. "I can heal you."

Placing her hand over his chest, looking revolted as her hands were covered in his blood, Lana recognised the healing light that was being generated. It was exactly what she'd seen Cyrus use all that time ago. Except this time it wasn't working. The wound grew a little smaller, but wouldn't close. Lenaria's hands shook with the effort it was taking, before she raised her hands with a small cry of frustration.

"There's too much damage," she said finally. Edward took her hand.

"Then I guess I've failed you."

"No, you…"

"I suppose it doesn't matter much now. You've become so powerful… you don't need us anymore anyway. I don't think you ever did. I think you were just scared… and lonely…"

"If you die, I will be alone," said Lenaria. "You know I never used my power on you? I wanted people to choose to love me. You were… always my favourite."

"I know. Don't be sad, L. I'm not afraid to die," said Edward. Lenaria looked at him like he was mad. While her attention was diverted, Lana slowly snuck around behind her. She reached into Batman's utility belt, pulling out one of the strange boomerangs he'd went for earlier…

"Marry me," said Lenaria suddenly. To Lana, she sounded almost shy.

"What?"

"Marry me," said Lenaria, cradling his head in her arms. "When an Empireth marries, they absorb their partner's memories, experiencing everything they've ever experienced. Your body will die, but I will carry your memories inside me. I will treasure them. We will be one. I… I will not do it without your permission."

"You have it," said Edward, smiling. With that smile, loose skin or not, crazy or not, Lana couldn't deny the man looked beautiful. Lenaria, while not smiling, looked bizarrely grateful. Her hands went to Edward's temple, pushing his long hair back before her fingers seemed to become intangible and slipped inside his head. Two grey auras surrounded them both before suddenly merging into one. Lenaria fell back, looking dazed and lost, while Edward's head hit the ground hard. Lana was sure he was dead.

She threw the boomerang. She hadn't known exactly what it would do, but as it hit the back of Lenaria's neck and exploded she fell back instinctively. For a second she thought she and Batman would both be caught in the blast, but although she felt the heat it did not touch her.

Lenaria stood up, completely unharmed.

"Out of respect for my husband, I will not kill you now," she said, talking to Batman. "The next time we meet will be a different story. As for you, Miss Lang, unfortunately Clark has forced my hand. You will be coming with me."

Lana aimed a kick at Lenaria's head, knowing it was futile. Lenaria simply swept her other leg from under her and hauled her to her feet. She told Batman where and when Clark could find her if he wanted his girlfriend to live. Knocking Lana unconscious with a finger, she draped her over her shoulder and sped from the barn, leaving her dead husband and a struggling Batman behind.


	25. Chapter 25

The doctors weren't able to give Clark any guarantees about Pete's condition. He'd lost a lot of blood, and had apparently been left like that for quite some time.

"You need to go, Clark," said Chloe, fresh tears still on her face. "I'll call Pete's family and let them know what's going on. I'm going to stay here with him. Go check on Lana. Let me know she's safe, okay?"

"You bet," said Clark softly, giving Chloe a hug before he sped from the hospital. He really pushed it as he sped across town, knowing every second might count.

When he saw Batman tied up in the barn and the dead body lying in the hay he knew he was too late. He recognised Edward despite the fact that half his face had been torn off. Clark winced. Hearing Batman growling at him, he inspected the bonds that were holding him to the support beam. It looked like some sort of black tentacle, although on closer inspection he could see it was made of dark energy rather than tissue. He reached out and touched it tentatively, pulling back with a curse as it burned his fingers. Instead of trying that again, he punched his fist against the support beam, breaking it in two and causing the restraint to drop to the barn floor, where it disappeared instantly. Batman was then able to slip his hands over the remains of the beam and wriggled free of the energy binding his hands.

Clark, after checking to make sure the barn roof wasn't about to collapse on their heads, made a quick job of repairing the beam before checking Batman was okay.

"She took Lana," said Batman, ignoring the question. "There was… nothing I could do."

"Do you have any idea where they went?" asked Clark, his heart sinking in his chest. He felt like smashing the whole barn apart, never mind doing any more repairs. He'd known Lenaria would do this, yet he still hadn't made it in time.

"Lenaria said to meet her at Smallville High at eight o'clock tonight. She said to go alone or Lana dies. She also said to bring the armour, whatever that may mean."

Clark nodded, looking sullen. Lenaria had him over a barrel. She knew he would hand over the armour in exchange for Lana's life. And the second he did, he was at her mercy. Lenaria knew about kryptonite, but that wasn't the only way she could attack him. He remembered all too well how she'd used her telepathic abilities to trick him into believing Lana had died. He'd been completely fooled. Without the armour, he had no way to defend himself. Even without her telepathic abilities, he had no idea exactly what she was capable of. There was one ability he now had that she didn't, at least, and that was flight. Flying would be much easier here as well, since he no longer had to worry about Kandor's heavy gravity. Except in combat, he wasn't sure how useful it would be, since Lenaria's diversity probably gave her an edge in terms of ranged attacks.

"Listen, Clark," said Batman, interrupting his musings. "You don't have to go alone. I'm very good at not getting spotted. If we can catch her off guard…"

"No, Batman, she'll see you for sure. She has… special vision. There's nowhere you could hide, no way for you to sneak up on her. Trust me – it's how I knew you were Bruce Wayne. I could see right through your mask. She can see through things as well," said Clark. "But there might be something you can do."

"Go on."

"I uh… kind of rule a planet of sorts," said Clark, sounding embarrassed. He raised his hands when he saw Batman's scowl. "It's not what you think! When Lenaria teleported me away, I challenged the ruler of the place to a fight. And won. So I'm in charge there now."

Batman didn't look any more pleased after the explanation. It was only now Clark began to wonder what he was supposed to do with Warworld, anyway. He'd never really considered what a responsibility he'd taken on. An incredibly unstable combat-based planet under his control. He suppressed a shudder at the thought. For now, he might as well put it to use.

"You're not suggesting we bring more aliens into this?"

"We don't have a choice. We know where and when Lenaria's going to be. This will be our only chance to stop her. Listen to me, Lenaria is a coward. She hid for years on this planet because she was afraid I would stop her. It's only now, when she's gotten so powerful, that she's daring to move in the open. But if we can show enough force AND surprise her, I think she'll surrender rather than take any risk to herself."

Batman mused over what Clark was saying.

"But if she has Lana… oh, I see. You plan to teleport them onto the battlefield once Lana is safe, right?"

"Yeah," said Clark, sounding uncertain. He'd noticed the scepticism in Batman's voice.

"Won't work. Edward here just came from Lenaria's space station. Even if the teleporter still works, which is doubtful, the place is overrun with monsters. I don't mind risking myself, but there's no way I'm taking Amy back there…"

"Amy?" asked Clark, confused. "Harrison's sister?"

"Ah. You didn't know. Harrison isn't the one with the power to repair technology, Clark. It's Amy. Harrison never realised because Amy allowed him to believe he was doing it on his own. I bet there are plenty of times he tried it when he was by himself and it wouldn't work, but he never made the connection. It saved their lives, too. Their mother had abilities as well, and when Lenaria absorbed her memories, she believed what their mother did – that Harrison had the powers. But it doesn't matter now. We can't take either one of them there."

"We don't have to," said Clark. "Before Harrison and I left we prepared a few things. We brought someone from Warworld onto Lenaria's ship, an alien named Yuish. Figured he could keep an eye on things on the Space Station. Assuming he's still alive I think he can probably repair the teleporter. Or at least I hope so. Now, the only way we can get you there in time is if I fly you."

"You can fly?"

"Pretty much."

Batman shook his head.

"I can't say as I much like the sound of flying along on your back, But maybe…"

Kneeling down next to Edward, Batman produced a small device shaped like a pen.

"What is that?" asked Clark.

"Edward used this to beam me onboard the space station the first time around. Hopefully it'll still work. Now, I'll get us as close to your location as possible, but don't be expecting us to beam in surrounding her. We'll give you, say, five minutes to get Lana safe. Can you hold Lenaria off that long?"

"I'll do what I can," said Clark.

"If we're any longer, don't expect us. Oh, and Clark?"

"Yeah?" asked Clark, gazing at the dead body lying in his barn.

"I ran into a couple of old friends of yours. Bart Allen's going to be alright. He has a long road ahead, but he will recover fully."

"That's great news," said Clark, managing a smile. Too bad Bart couldn't help right now. Lenaria had caught him off guard before, but Clark felt sure that if he and Bart approached with the right strategy they could have taken her down together. Not that he wasn't grateful for Batman's help… but there was only so much the man could do.

"The other was a former Sheriff around here by the name of Ethan Miller."

"What?" said Clark, genuinely surprised. "But he's in prison!"

"Not anymore. Want to take a guess who got him out?"

"Who?"

"Edward and Lenaria. For some reason, trying to kill Lionel Luthor qualified him for their little group. They told him Lionel was on the verge of becoming more powerful than ever to try and get him to join."

Clark nodded distractedly. They hadn't been lying either; it was like Lionel had almost become one with Jor-El and The Fortress. Lionel had proven useful on Kandor, but Clark had no idea what Jor-El thought he was doing. Did he actually trust Lionel, or did he believe he could control him as he'd tried to control Clark? Either one was a mistake to Clark's mind.

"Where is Ethan now?" asked Clark. He supposed there would have been news stories about it, but he hadn't exactly spent a lot of time on Earth lately. He wondered if his mother had heard. Or Lionel.

"Somewhere out of the way until I can turn him in to the authorities. Don't worry about him causing trouble; I placed a tracking device in his arm. No way he's getting it out."

"I trust you," said Clark, knowing that was a half-truth at best. "Good luck. If Lenaria doesn't surrender…"

"Things will get ugly? Don't worry about it, Farm-boy," said Batman, pushing the top of the 'pen'. Before Clark could protest that they needed to plan further, Batman had disappeared.

888

The Talon was quiet in the late afternoon, despite offering shelter from the light rain outside. Lana was glad it wasn't her problem anymore. Although the place usually held a comfortable familiarity to her, she felt at the moment like she was haunting the place like a ghost.

Partly because nobody could see her. Lenaria had explained that she was affecting their minds so they wouldn't be disturbed. Lana hadn't tried attracting anybody's attention. There was nobody here that could help her, and if she somehow got through to somebody, she would only be condemning them to death. She watched as a waitress placed a hot chocolate down on the table in front of Lenaria along with a muffin. Lenaria hadn't ordered anything, but Lana could take a guess at what Lenaria had done. She didn't ask for anything herself.

"Why do you need that?" asked Lana, referring not to the muffin but to the meteor rock in Lenaria's pocket. She'd made a point of finding one soon after Lana woke up. "If you're so powerful, can't you defeat Clark without it?"

"Of course," said Lenaria, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "Although Clark has rather a lucky streak. He survived Warworld and Mongul, and even fully developed Kryptonians failed to manage that. And then removing my powers with that armour, reducing me to a snivelling, grovelling wreck… No, I will give him no more chances. Prudent to finish him immediately."

Lana wracked her brains, trying to think of a way to get rid of the meteor rock. She was almost surprised to find that, much like Lenaria, she thought that if she removed that from the equation, Clark would find a way to beat her. Then again, hadn't he always found a way to save her? He'd even brought her back from the dead!

Any plan he might have though, was going to die with him if she had that rock. Yet despite her best efforts she could see no way to separate it from Lenaria. Even if she did there were plenty more lying around for her to find. She cursed herself; Chloe would have found a way. She'd been protecting Clark and his secret for some time, while Lana had taken only hours to accidentally betray him to Lex.

"Please," she begged, fighting back tears. "If he has to die, let him die fighting."

"You know, Lana, you and Clark will never have what Edward and I do. He was willing to share his entire life with me. And what has Clark ever shared with you? Even now he keeps so much from you. All that resentment…"

"Resentment?" asked Lana, wary of playing Lenaria's game.

"How could he feel anything less towards you, after what happened to his father?"

Lana could feel her heart tightening in her chest. Jor-El had alluded to something like that earlier, but Clark and Martha had both swept it aside, as if it were something she needed protecting from. What did she mean?

"Clark changed the past in order to save your life. You wore the necklace I created in my… confusion after absorbing some of Clark's memories, so you already know this. What you didn't see was Jonathan Kent driving past the scene of your accident, getting out of the truck…"

"I don't want to hear this!" gasped Lana in a tiny voice.

"And seeing to his son, instead of driving home to the confrontation with Lionel Luthor that ended his life," said Lenaria in a sing-song voice. "Of course, you and I know Jonathan would have soon died anyway, but poor Clark. He believes he traded his father's life for yours. Clark couldn't help but blame you."

Tears leaking silently down her cheeks, Lana stared at Lenaria defiantly.

"Well if Clark resents me so much, good. He won't try to save me and he won't fall into your trap."

"Ah, but he will. If you die, the trade was rather meaningless, wasn't it? And Clark's love has always been as sick and relentless as any meteor freak's obsession with you. Even as he hates you, he cannot help but adore you," said Lenaria, biting into her muffin.

888

Total darkness welcomed Batman after activating the teleporting device, which he took to mean he'd landed in the right place. The lack of light did not present him with a problem, since his cowl had been designed to provide him with night-vision, something that was frequently required in his line of work.

He'd have to hope Yuish was somewhere nearby and that the mutants hadn't driven him into hiding on the other side of the station. Given the size of the place, he had no hope of finding him in time if that were the case. Hearing footsteps behind him, he quickly ducked back into the teleporter room.

"Give me an update," said a voice Batman recognised. The ever-confident tones of Lionel Luthor's son, Lex. Another person with a connection to Clark. Did Lex know the truth?

"Two casualties on the west side. Group B is still engaged in combat with the hostiles. Looks like this area is all clear though. Group C is carrying out the secondary objective of acquiring tech. No sign of the primary target. Most likely in hiding or not onboard, Mr Luthor."

"I want her found," said Lex. Batman could hear that Lex was heading right this way. There was nowhere for him to hide as the door opened and Lex waved a flashlight in his direction.

"In here!" cried Lex, diving back behind the door. Batman backed into the corner to prevent himself being surrounded as three people entered the room at a run.

888

After finishing her muffin, Lenaria sipped her hot chocolate while Lana sat in stony silence. She hadn't exactly told Lana the truth about why she had the meteor rock. True, she intended on giving Clark no chance whatsoever to harm her, but she wasn't going to kill him with it. The kryptonite was merely added protection while she took the armour from Clark. Once it was safely off and destroyed, Clark would no longer be immune to her telepathic powers. His willpower was exceptionally strong, which was a worry (she remembered with a shiver him almost killing her by fighting the absorption process) but he wouldn't even know there was anything for him to fight.

She thought it might have been Edward's influence – he was a far better planner than her. With one simple move she would eliminate the threats against her. She hadn't made any significant connection to Milton Fine when she'd first seen him in Clark's memories, but now she knew who he was and what he wanted. The devil, as she and the Kandorians had known him, had operated the way she so often had in the past by using someone else to do their work for them. Sweet then, that she was going to use Fine's puppet against him…

Once Clark released Zodd from the Phantom Zone, destroying the Fortress in the process, Zodd would fall under her control. And Fine, oblivious to this, would find himself destroyed by his own master. She would then make sure Zodd suffered greatly before he died. He had after all played a large role in an extermination campaign against her people. She was most pleased. Fine, Clark, Jor-El, and Zodd, would all be eliminated, and there was no danger to herself.

She had no doubt Clark would show up with some kind of plan. It was too bad he would never get the chance to execute it.


	26. Chapter 26

Clark didn't relish explaining to Harrison that he would have to wait a little longer to be reunited with his sister, but the boy took the news pretty well. He was still just relieved to know that she was all right. He decided now was not the time to explain about her powers. Difficult to know how Harrison might react to that; would he be relieved to be free of a perceived burden, or would he mourn the loss of a gift he'd never really had?

"She took Lana," said Clark to his mother afterwards. Martha had managed to offer somewhat of an explanation for Edward's death once the ambulance and police arrived. A lot of questions were being asked, but since the wounds clearly hadn't been inflicted by anything human, and since this was Smallville, no-one at The Kent Farm was a suspect. "Lenaria knows that as long as I have the armour, I'm immune to her telepathic abilities and can remove her powers. If I give the armour to her in exchange for Lana, I'll be completely at her mercy."

"What are you going to do, Clark?" asked Martha. She had no idea that he'd just visited the former capital of Krypton; that was a story that was going to have to wait for now.

"Batman and I are going to use a group from Warworld to try and force Lenaria to surrender."

"What's to stop her from using her powers to turn them against you?"

"When I was locked up with the other prisoners on Warworld, I found out that most telepaths don't survive long on Warworld. Their powers are ineffective against most of the stronger warriors. So many things could go wrong though. Lenaria's the most powerful person I've ever went up against. And I think her mind becomes more unstable every time she absorbs someone's memories. Harrison told me she kept thinking of him as her child," said Clark.

"One person isn't meant to be that powerful," said Martha.

"I think that's something we might use against her. I'm hoping I can get her to surrender, but if it comes to a fight… She has a lot of abilities, but I don't think she'll have mastered most of them. She's spent most of her time in hiding, so I'm hoping she won't be able to put things like her strength and speed together very well."

He tried to sound hopeful, but all that ignored her telepathic abilities, which he'd already seen were very potent. He had one last trick he was sure would beat her, but it wouldn't work if she could just shut his mind down or worse, control him.

"A jack of all trades is a master of none," said Martha.

"I keep thinking about The Empireth. I mean, all of them had the potential to become like Lenaria is now. Any time you met someone stronger than you, you'd have to resist the temptation to steal their power. I don't know what I would do, if I were like that. So may times even my abilities haven't been enough. I could have saved dad, Ryan, Alicia…"

"No matter how many powers you stole it would never be enough," said Martha firmly. "Look at Lenaria. We had a dead body in our barn and she couldn't do anything for him, could she? I know exactly what you'd do, Clark. Same as with your other abilities, you would never abuse it. Think about your friends Bart Allen, Victor Stone, Arthur Curry… do you really think you would steal their powers? You'd do the same as you did and make these people your allies. That's where your real strength lies."

Clark nodded. He wished the three of them were by his side instead of warriors from Warworld. He thought he kind of liked Draaga – he seemed to have some sense of justice and honour – but he wasn't sure about anyone else. He hadn't forgotten being whipped by Yuish. Right now though he'd take help from wherever he could get it.

888

Two men and a woman approached Batman, who was remembering telling Clark Kent he was good at not getting spotted. It had taken him a minute to get found here. The larger man swung furiously at his head. Easily reading the move, Batman sidestepped and caught him with a judo throw, hurling him against the wall. The woman seized the opening, going at him with a spin kick. Just before the kick impacted, Batman noticed the end of her foot suddenly extending and a steel spike emerging from her shoe. He raised his arm to block just in time, the spike resting inches from his neck. Sweeping her other leg from under her, he was spinning to attack the third man when he was suddenly blown back against the wall. It felt like a hurricane was emerging from the man's body. The other two got swept up in it as well. He managed, with some difficulty, to get his hand to his utility belt. Batarangs were out, since they'd just come flying straight back at him, so he instead pressed a button on a small device that emitted a high-pitched sound.

The attacker's hands immediately flew to his ears, his concentration completely destroyed. Batman had to turn it off quickly though, since he was affected as well. He had, at least, given himself enough time to drop a smoke bomb into the centre of the room while he ran out after Luthor.

"Batman? You have got to be kidding me. Isn't this a little out of your jurisdiction? Oh wait, that's right: you're a vigilante: you don't have any jurisdiction, here or anywhere else," said Lex from his position a little along the corridor. Batman could see he was wearing some kind of armour; difficult to see it exactly with night-vision.

"Listen to me, Lex. I don't have time to deal with you or your friends. Experiments of yours are they? I think your business would have to be considered at least as illegitimate as mine."

"You have knowledge it is very dangerous for you to have," said Lex coolly.

"Maybe, but right now I'm not the threat to you. We both know there are mutants all over this ship, and anything could happen to us while we're standing around talking. Those three in there won't be out for long. I suggest you take them and get back to your business, and let me deal with mine."

"I'm wondering if our business is mutually exclusive or not," said Lex. "What is it you're here for?"

"I was a prisoner here," said Batman, improvising quickly. "My cell door opened when the power went out. I managed to find that teleporter, but I can't escape until I've found my friend."

Lex regarded him carefully, shining the flashlight on his face.

"Then maybe I can help," he said. "What's your friend's name?"

"Tim," said Batman, merely saying the first name that came to mind.

"Alright, how about you come with us? Safer to move in a group."

"I'm touched by your concern for my well-being, but since I just took out three of your friends, you'd only get in my way," said Batman. He turned to leave and Luthor made no move to stop him. Letting Luthor get his hands on any of the tech on this ship, even if it wasn't working anymore, was a bad idea. But there wasn't much he could do about it right now, unless he wanted to murder Lex. He wasn't prepared to do that. He had to find Yuish before it was too late.

888

After Clark had made all the preparations he was going to have time to make, he swung by the hospital to check in on Pete.

"He's in surgery now," said Chloe. Clark could see she'd been crying. "What's the news on Lana? Is she okay?"

"Lenaria has her. She's going to try and exchange Lana for the armour," said Clark, buying her a coffee from the machine. The hospital felt way too familiar to him. He'd even died here, once upon a time. He couldn't shake the feeling that he might be about to die a second, final time. He was prepared to do whatever it took to stop Lenaria… as long as the sacrifice was his own. He would not sacrifice Lana.

"You can't believe that, Clark. She'll take the armour and kill you both. She knows how you work as well as I do."

"Nothing's going to happen to Lana. I've seen enough people close to me hurt the past few days. It ends tonight."

"How are you going to stop her though? I hate to say it, but she's too strong even for you."

"I have a way. I wasn't sure if I could use it before, but I have to do whatever it takes. I'll give her one chance to give herself up, and if she doesn't, I'll end it for good."

"You're going to kill her?" asked Chloe, looking at him fearfully.

"No, Chloe. Something else entirely. And it'll be the last thing she ever expects."

888

They sat content with each other's company until Lois arrived and Clark made his excuses. It was almost time now anyway. He made his way to Smallville High on foot, wanting desperately to fly there – it had felt more wonderful than any of his other gifts – but not quite daring to. He wasn't afraid of heights anymore, but he couldn't risk being seen. A flying boy was hard to explain away, even in Smallville.

A reasonable distance away, he used his telescopic vision to check out the school. It had been some time since he'd last been back there, and memories flooded back to him of dancing with Lana at Prom, or helping Chloe out at The Torch. Even getting hauled to Principal Reynolds office didn't seem such a big deal anymore.

He could see Lana and Lenaria in front of the school, Lenaria gripping Lana's shoulder roughly. He was far enough away that Lana couldn't see him, but Lenaria had been looking out for him using his own telescopic vision. She waved and blew him a kiss with a smile that did not reach her eyes. She waved him over.

"That's close enough!" she shouted as he approached. "You know our speeds are equal. You make any move I don't like and I'll have the girl's neck broken in an instant."

"Clark! She has a meteor rock, it's a trap!" shouted Lana, screaming as Lenaria grasped her shoulder even tighter.

"Shh!" hissed Lenaria. "She's telling the truth though, Clark, so be aware that anything you try will only result in both your deaths. You have come alone, I trust?"

"Take a look around," invited Clark. He waited while she used his vision to thoroughly scan the area.

"Very good," said Lenaria, sounding pleased. "You have some sense then, at least. Now, take your shirt off along with the armour and show us that gorgeous body of yours."

"Let Lana go first."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm the one holding the cards here."

"Don't do it!" Lana shouted. "Stopping her is all that matters. You can't put me ahead of everyone else! Please, Clark, just stop her. I'm not going to be safe anywhere anyway. You chose to save me once and your father died because of it. Don't let anyone else die in my place, please."

"What did you tell her!?" demanded Clark.

"The simple truth," said Lenaria. "We both know you've already made your choice, Clark. Take the armour off."

"I'm sorry, Lana. I can't let you die," said Clark, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. Lenaria seethed with anger as she saw the armour. Clark wasn't quick taking it off, needing to buy some time, but not too much; Lana had to get clear before Batman and the others showed up. He placed it down in front of him. "Now let her go."

"In a moment," said Lenaria. Clark recognised that she was about to use heat vision, but something was horribly wrong with the fire that sprang from her eyes. Instead of the usual flame it came out a strange purple-black colour. It struck the armour and tough though it was Clark watched as it slowly melted into a pile of liquid.

"Clark," gasped Lana, tears flowing freely. "For what it's worth, I would have said yes."

Clark turned to the girl, about to say something, but quickly realised he had no idea what. He looked instead at The Goddess Lenaria, the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen in his life. He was unworthy to even look upon her face. She was so strong and he was so weak.

"Now," said Lenaria, voice rich with triumph. "Tell us, Clark. Which one of us do you love?"

"You, my Goddess," said Clark, falling to his knees.

"And would you do anything for me?" she asked, moving in front of him and touching his cheek. Clark cried tears of joy even to feel her hand on his skin. It was more than he'd ever deserved. In all the years he'd served her he had surely done nothing to be worthy of her.

"Anything," he said, pleased she would entrust him with something, anything.

"Clark! Clark, no! She's controlling you! Fight it!"

"First, a test. Prove your loyalty to me and kill the girl."

Clark saw the girl recoil in fear as he approached.

"I don't know who you are, and I take no pleasure from this. But my Goddess has commanded me to kill you, and I will do whatever she asks of me," said Clark, reaching for the girl's neck.

"I love you, Clark," she told him. Why would she say that? He didn't even know her! "I don't blame you for this."

"That's enough, Lenaria! Give yourself up or be destroyed."

Clark turned his head towards the man who'd spoken. Standing around the school were five obviously alien creatures led by a man in a bat-costume. Rage ran through Clark's body. Were these people actually challenging a Goddess?

"So that was your plan," hissed Lenaria. It sounded like she was angry with him. What had he done wrong? "Kill them, Clark. Kill all of them!"

888

Lana's hope died quickly as Clark scattered the group with a wide burst of his heat vision. Three of the warriors were driven back. Batman survived through sheer luck, but fell heavily as the attack shot past him. Lana gave a gasp as Lenaria grabbed her from behind, holding her as if to use her as a shield. She struggled and Lenaria squeezed her so tight she thought her body might explode from the pressure on it. Lenaria took the kryptonite from her pocket and tossed it off into the distance; Lana guessed she didn't want to risk it affecting Clark while she needed his protection.

"Kid, er, I mean, Your Greatness, it's us! It's us!" yelled a frog-like warrior wearing a suit of white armour. Sadly not the kind that restricted Lenaria's powers.

"It's me, Draaga!" said a much larger warrior. "Stand aside, Kal-El!"

"I won't let you hurt her!" shouted Clark swinging a fist at Draaga, who rolled with the punch. Draaga then raised his hands and brought them down in a clubbing motion, only for Clark to grab his wrists. This turned out to be a mistake, as Draaga overpowered him and forced him to his knees. Cursing, Lenaria tossed Lana aside. She landed on her shoulder and rolled, feeling incredibly warm suddenly. To her horror, she saw a massive sphere forming above Lenaria's head, looking like a second sun. It shot into the crowd of fighters, and she watched as two of the aliens were caught in the blast. Batman saw it heading in his direction, and Lana watched him disappear into the light. As the blast faded, she could see the aliens were dead. Of Batman, there was no sign. There had been no time for him to dodge; it must have consumed him utterly.

Clark had pushed Draaga back with his heat vision, and had now switched tactics entirely. Lana watched in disbelief as he actually flew into the sky. The first time he'd taken her to the fortress, it had felt like they were flying, but it had only really been a controlled leap. This time there could be no doubt. Draaga was unable to do anything. A close-ranged fighter, he was at Clark's mercy as he began hitting him with punishing blasts of his heat-vision.

Meanwhile, Yuish and the other alien both charged at Lenaria, raining blows down upon her. None of them even touched her. Some kind of barrier protected her from their strikes. Grabbing their throats, Lenaria tossed them back. Lana watched, helpless to do anything, as she began collecting another ball of energy.

With everyone else distracted, only Lana noticed Batman somehow teleporting back onto the battlefield. Taking the situation in quickly, he threw one of the boomerangs Lana had used earlier straight into the heart of Lenaria's miniature sun.

Her barrier held the resulting explosion back for only moments before it shattered, Lenaria disappearing into the flame as the front half of the school behind her was completely destroyed. The glass exploded and Lana covered herself as best she could, knowing she stood no chance – she was too close to the blast.

The next thing she knew she was in the air, safely in Clark's arms as he sped her free of the debris.

"Lana, are you all right? I'm so sorry," said Clark, holding her close.

"Clark? It's really you?"

"Looks like Lenaria lost her concentration."

"Is she…?"

"No, she's still alive," said Clark. "Don't worry. I'm going to finish this."


	27. Chapter 27

With no time to lose, Clark landed next to Batman along with Lana. Behind them, most of Smallville High was a burning wreck.

"Nice throw," he said, smiling. "Take Lana and get out of here. It's too dangerous for you to be anywhere near here."

"Clark…" began Batman, only for Clark to cut him off.

"Please, I need you to protect her. And Lana, can you do something for me?"

"What is it?" asked Lana, looking around as though expecting Lenaria to strike at any moment.

"I want you to keep talking. It doesn't matter what you're saying; I just want to have your voice to concentrate on. If I can just keep a hold of what's real maybe Lenaria won't be able to control me again."

"Clark, an explosion that size is going to attract a lot of attention…" said Batman.

"I'll try to draw the fight away from here, but we can't let her escape. If she does she'll hunt us down and kill us one-by-one, and we won't stand a chance. Now quickly, go!"

Turning his attention from them, praying they'd be able to get away, he took a look under the debris with his x-ray vision. Lenaria wasn't under there anymore. Luring her away from the school wasn't going to be difficult; she was already fleeing the scene. With a quick look around, he saw that out of the fighters Batman had brought only three survived, and of those only Draaga was on his feet.

"Draaga, we have to launch quick attacks! We can't give her time to try and control me again!"

He took a moment to recover his shirt - there was something in it he might need. Since they were essential equal in terms of speed, he knew he had no chance of catching Lenaria on foot. Taking to the sky, he burst forwards, hot in pursuit across the plains of Smallville. Landing in front of her, he hoped Draaga could catch them before Lenaria could control him.

(You can do it, Clark. I believe in you. Remember who you are. Remember…)

"Get out of the way, you fool!" shrieked Lenaria, slight burns still showing on her face. Clark was willing to bet she'd had time to heal her wounds partially, but not completely.

"It's over, Lenaria," said Clark, blocking her path.

"So be it," she muttered. Clark could see she was trying to summon whatever courage she had. "Why don't we pick up where we left in Gotham? I believe I was just about to kill you."

"Actually, the way I remember it, we left off with you kissing my feet and begging for your life."

The expression on Lenaria's face told Clark that, whatever abilities she may possess, killing him with a look wasn't one of them. Problem was, he'd been hoping to distract her until Draaga arrived – but there was still no sign of him. Without any special vision, he must have lost sight of them both.

Both Clark and Lenaria ran at each other, Clark aiming to tackle her to the ground and try to keep her restrained. They both ended up colliding awkwardly, falling backwards dazed. That hadn't been the best move. Clark made to get back to his feet, and noticed Lenaria staring at something next to him with horror.

"W-why do you still have that? That's the necklace I set up for Lana," she gasped. "WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING? TELL ME!"

Clark grabbed for the necklace, already knowing that Lenaria was trying to enter his mind, to force him to tell her his intentions. He couldn't let her know…

(Clark, trust in your feelings…)

(No, Clark, no! Don't listen to anyone but me! It's a trick, a DIRTY trick! You MUST tell me, you MUST.)

"Harrison and I used the machine you place the memories you steal in. We used the same technique you did to transfer them into the necklace," said Clark, feeling torn in two.

"What memories?" asked Lenaria, voice barely a whisper.

"All of them," said Clark. Lenaria recoiled in terror. "I thought if I could put it on you, your mind wouldn't be able to handle it, and you'd fall into a coma."

"DESTROY IT, CLARK! DESTROY IT NOW!" she screeched, backing away as if the memories might leap from the necklace and attack her at any moment.

(I love you so much. You have to make it, Clark. There's so much we still need to talk about…)

(IGNORE HER LISTEN TO ME DESTROY IT DESTROY IT DESTROY IT)

(You can beat her…)

(NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO)

Clark screamed as he tried to fight what was happening to him… and then it ended in a moment. The top half of Lenaria's body twisted as Draaga hit with a powerful right hand. Lenaria barely managed to stay upright, leaping backwards to try and avoid Draaga's assault. They both pushed forwards at a run, Clark barely managing to dodge two energy blasts while Draaga used an axe to redirect one aimed at his head. With her attention on two targets, Clark flew over her head and began blasting with his heat vision, trying to allow Draaga time to get in close. On Warworld, Draaga had told him he could have beaten Mongul in a fair fight, and during their brief scuffle Clark found out he might well have been right. If Clark could pin Lenaria down and let Draaga fight at close range, they stood a chance of winning.

Lenaria's diversity made this far from easy, as she used heat vision herself against Draaga while launching energy projectiles into the air towards Clark. He avoided the first few, but there were simply too many coming too fast and he gasped with pain as a blast burned the skin on his leg. Although he was usually indestructible, he'd found against Mongul that someone of equal or superior strength could get through his invulnerability field.

Flying to the right, this time he used his heat vision not against Lenaria but against her assault on Draaga. Her blast was deflected, allowing Draaga to get in close and strike her face with the flat of the axe. The head flew off the handle, but Lenaria, whimpering, lost her footing and Draaga caught her with some solid punches to the gut. Lenaria's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head; she was no fighter, and Clark could see she was succumbing to the pain. Clark dove downwards like a missile, building momentum as he headed straight for her. She looked up at the last moment, but only had time to scream as Clark slammed hard into her, knocking the air from her and tackling her to the ground. Locking his arms around her, he squeezed tightly as Lenaria thrashed beneath him. She turned purple as she struggled for air.

Yet for all she had done, he could not bring himself to simply squeeze the life out of her, instead letting her drop weakly out of his grip.

"I give up!" she sobbed as Draaga moved in to finish her. "C-Clark, p-please don't let him h-hurt me."

"Draaga, that's enough!" said Clark, placing his arm in Draaga's way. Clark pulled the necklace out and Lenaria looked ready to faint.

"N-no, please don't," she pleaded. "I won't cause anymore trouble, I swear! Take me to The Fortress… put me on trial for the crimes I've committed. You still believe in justice, don't you?"

It was against his better judgement – it was risky, now that he'd lost the armour – but he didn't have it in him to finish her. She was a pitiful sight.

"Alright," he said warily. "Draaga will accompany us. Draaga, if she does anything you don't like, or I start behaving suspiciously, do whatever you have to."

"As you say," said Draaga.

"Aren't you going to say I'm dishonouring her?" asked Clark, as Draaga grabbed Lenaria roughly by the hair. She had the nerve to look outraged.

"She is no warrior, therefore she is unworthy of a warrior's death," said Draaga.

Using his vision to locate the safest way to the caves (a large crowd had indeed gathered at the remains of the school) the three of them remained silent as they went. Lenaria, to Clark's surprise, was on her best behaviour. He supposed she would only try to escape if a safe way revealed itself. Given the way she kept looking towards Draaga and his pocket where the necklace was kept, he supposed she wasn't prepared to risk it.

Once they reached the caves though, she grabbed at the entrance and had to be forcibly pulled off by both Clark and Draaga.

"You can't do this!" she said, trembling.

"This was your idea, remember?" said Clark. "Consider the alternatives."

Using his key to get them inside the fortress, Clark kept his guard up. He could no longer hear Lana's voice, and he'd have to hope Draaga served as enough protection against any of Lenaria's tricks. Given that guilty was the only possible verdict that could be reached, he was expecting trouble.

"Clark!" said Lionel, surprised, looking up from the console. Clark had no idea what he was doing with the array of crystals, but was pleased to see Kandor, now stored in what looked to him like a crystal ball. He was taken aback to see a small robot with an elliptical head next to it.

"That's Kelex," explained Lionel as if this place belonged to him. "We can't restore the city, regrettably, but Kelex can interface with it and keep us appraised of it's condition. Everything fine after it's little… accident."

He looked at Lenaria with narrow eyes.

"Do you really think it a good idea to bring her here, Clark?"

"I'm not sure it was a good idea for Jor-El to bring YOU here," said Clark, keeping a close eye on Lenaria. "She surrendered and asked for a fair trial. We can't exactly try her in an Earth court, so I'm hoping Jor-El will agree to try her here."

Lionel chuckled.

"Well, she'll be in fine company," he said, waving a hand. Clark watched as a hidden chamber opened at the back of the fortress, and restrained within was the familiar figure of Sergeant Preus.

"You!" spat Preus. "Deceivers! Filthy vermin!"

"That's quite enough, thank you," said Lionel, waving a hand. A beam of light shone of Preus, and he froze completely. "Jor-El retrieved him from Kandor before he could cause any more damage there. He'll be standing trial for crimes against the people in the city. Your race, for one, Lenaria. He exterminated most of them."

Lenaria's expression was difficult to read. She looked like she was barely paying attention. Probably more concerned with her fate than theirs, thought Clark. He did not look forward to the prospect of her sobbing her way through the trial.

"No native Kandorian can survive for long out here, as a result of something they refer to as 'The Exposure Sickness'. However, that remarkable armour makes them resistant to it somehow."

Clark watched as Lenaria turned as though to run, only for Draaga to pull her back sharply.

"How long can he survive without it?" asked Clark.

"A few hours," said Lionel.

"Should be enough time if we begin immediately. I want that armour taken off Preus and given to me. That way we can be sure Lenaria isn't unfairly influencing anything during the trial."

"T-there's no need for that," said Lenaria, scared enough that Clark knew she had considered it. "I will behave, you have my word!"

Equipping himself with the armour, he waited while Lionel apparently consulted with Jor-El.

"You have disobeyed my instructions, Kal-El," said Jor-El, voice echoing throughout the chamber. "I told you to destroy The Empireth. You risk much, bringing her here."

"I'm doing what I believe is right," said Clark, not prepared to back down.

"Should anything go wrong, it is you who must face the consequences."

"I understand."

"Then we shall begin. It is I who shall decide the verdict, and Lionel Luthor shall lead the proceedings. My son, you shall be asked to speak in time."

"This is ridiculous!" yelled Lenaria through clenched teeth. "Krypton is dead! Jor-El is dead! You're just an artificial intelligence!"

"I believe this was your own idea, Empireth," said Jor-El. "Therefore you will follow this court's authority. You will remain silent until you are prompted to speak."

"The crimes this court are concerned with are multiple abduction charges and the attempted destruction of the city of Kandor." said Lionel. "How do you plead?"

Lenaria licked her lips.

"Guilty, of course, but…"

"Thank you," said Lionel. "How many Kryptonians did you capture and send to Warworld?"

"You don't understand! Mongul forced me to do it! I only agreed so that I would be spared!"

"That does not negate the severity of your crime," said Lionel. "I ask again: how many Kryptonians did you send?"

"I don't remember… a dozen or so, I suppose."

"Including one Clark Kent, or Kal-El as this court recognises him. Can you confirm this, Mr Kent?"

"Yes, I can," said Clark, unpleasant memories flooding back.

"And I believe you were also there to witness The Empireth throwing the bottle city of Kandor against a wall?"

"That is correct," said Clark.

"Could there be any reason whatsoever for her to do so, other than to try and destroy it?"

"None."

"I b-b-beg you, show leniency!" said Lenaria, on her knees now. "Forgive me!"

"The court recognises your unwillingness to be punished for your crimes. However, your lack of remorse for your victims should also be pointed out. Do you have anything you wish to say, before your sentence is decided?"

Lenaria shook her head, looking defeated. She knew she was finished.

"Have you reached a decision, Jor-El?" asked Lionel.

"I have," said Jor-El. "For the crimes of abduction and attempted mass-murder, the accused is sentenced to lifetime imprisonment in The Phantom Zone."

"NO!" shrieked Lenaria. Clark got ready to move; at the moment he was close enough to be protected from her telepathy, but not close enough to fully restrict her powers. If she made a break for it, he would stop her. Lionel returned to the console, pulling at one of the crystals. "Clark, please. Don't let them send me there! Send me to Warworld! You have the armour again, you said you could keep me there, just don't send me to that place…"

Clark only shook his head, unmoved by her pleas. Lionel was right; she'd shown no remorse for what she'd done. She sat there and begged for mercy after she'd tried to destroy Kandor. She didn't understand the concept.

As soon as the vortex to The Phantom Zone opened, Clark knew everything had gone wrong. An eerie red glow illuminated the fortress.

"What have you done?" he said, turning to Lionel.

"I don't understand," said Lionel, hunched over the controls. "The self-destruct has been activated."

"She controlled you!" said Clark, seeing Lenaria's pleas for what they really were; a distraction. Clark turned, seeing the outline of Zod appearing in the vortex. He didn't know how Lenaria had done it without the weapon Fine had used, but somehow she had. But why would she want Zod free? In front of the portal, he saw that Preus had been released. "Stop it!"

"I don't know how!" shouted Lionel above the noise the portal was making. "I can't feel… Clark, Jor-El is gone!"

Clark made to go forwards towards the opening, Lenaria's cackling ringing in his ears.

"No!" she shouted suddenly. "Stay away, Clark! Get back!"

"General Zod?" asked Preus, sounding both confused and in awe.

Too late, Clark realised what she was up to. Zod's spirit exited the void and entered the first suitable vessel – Preus. And now Lenaria was going to control him! He looked to Draaga, who was now fighting against the restraints Lenaria had used against Batman. They were all over his body, and one covered his mouth in an attempt to smother him. He had to restrict Lenaria's powers…

"Kill him, Zod!" shrieked Lenaria, running over and cowering behind The General. Zod's brow furrowed, as though unable to understand what was happening, and then he rushed towards Clark as The Fortress began to shake…


	28. Chapter 28

Chaos reigned within the fortress; Clark had a moment to observe it all, knowing it was up to him to resolve things. Jor-El had made it clear that whatever happened was his responsibility. It was up to him to put things right. He could see Draaga still struggling to break free of his bonds, Lionel looking very uncertain as he tried to stop the self-destruct system, Kelex monitoring Kandor as if nothing here was amiss, Lenaria staying as far from him as possible in case he tried to remove her powers, and Zod, who came at him in a blur. He barely managed to move before Zod's fist slammed painfully into his chest, instantly cracking the armour and bringing Clark, body shaken by the impact, to his knees.

Through the pain, Clark felt despair. After all he'd been through, was this how it was going to end? His determination had seen him through a lot, but in the end it had been Lenaria's own cowardice that had enabled him to survive her so long, and luck that had gotten him past Mongul. Zod swung again, almost taking Clark's head from his shoulders this time. Knowing it was hopeless, Clark struck back with a barrage of attacks, Zod blocking them all. He would not give in! He'd told Jor-El he would take responsibility. The portal to the Phantom Zone had not yet closed – he couldn't beat Zod head-to-head, but if he could, he would drag Zod in there with him.

It was in the back of his mind that Zod would surely not survive here long anyway, not now that the armour had been cracked. However, if what Fine said was true, then there was still at least one more sample available, and currently it was held by Lex. It had surely been Fine's own tampering with the fortress (along with, he realised, Lionel's connection to it) that had made it so easy for Lenaria to release Zod. He didn't know if she intended Zod to live or not, but he couldn't worry about her right now. He would just have to hope Draaga could get free and deal with her - Zod was all he could handle right now.

More than he could handle. Zod unleashed heat vision through Preus' eyes, Clark noticing that it was the same dark purple colour that Lenaria's had been. Clark met the blast with one of his own, only for him to be overpowered and blasted across the fortress. He landed next to Lionel at the console, who looked at a loss over what he should do. Getting to his feet, Clark pushed him aside before Zod could touch him.

"Finish him quickly!" Clark heard Lenaria shouting. "We have to get out of here!"

Feigning a punch, Clark instead wrapped his arms around Zod's shoulders, planning to push forwards and force them both into The Phantom Zone, but didn't manage more than two steps before Zod blocked the attempt. Grabbing Clark's throat, he hoisted him into the air, tossing him back so that Clark landed on the edge of the console. Clark howled as two of the crystals impaled him through the shoulder, trapping him in place. Lionel, who had discreetly taken one of the crystals out, snuck up behind Zod and tried to stab him through the neck, only for Zod to turn and catch his wrist. Zod then jerked Lionel's arm, driving the weapon into Lionel's leg and leaving it there as Clark's former enemy screamed.

The Fortress was beginning to break apart. Lenaria wasn't prepared to wait any longer, sprinting for the exit. She was almost out when Draaga, still partially bound, grabbed her ankle. She struggled free, but Draaga rose to meet her.

"Zod, protect me!" she ordered, watching Draaga fearfully. She clearly didn't want to try and force her way past in such an enclosed space, where Draaga would have the advantage. Zod blasted Draaga aside with his heat vision, joining Lenaria at the exit of the fortress. Then, to Clark's surprise, Zod sharply grabbed her wrist, pulled her forwards and chopped her across the throat.

Lenaria fell to the ground, holding her reddened throat, shock written all over her face. She rose to her knees and Zod placed his hands on her shoulders roughly.

"I don't require any armour to be immune to your tricks, Empireth," said Zod coldly. "I will not be controlled by you or anyone else."

Grabbing Zod's hands, Lenaria tried to force him off of her.

"I may not be able to control your mind," she said, voice sounding sore after the attack, "but physically I can…"

She was silenced with a kick to the head that flipped her body over backwards. Afterwards she lay still for a moment before again getting to her knees, bleeding badly, body shaking with fear.

"Physically you are nothing compared with Zod."

"I-I c-could be your, your most devoted servant, i-if you'll only s-spare my life. I-I was a f-fool, I can s-see that now…"

"Zod does not require a race of leeches as his allies."

"Wait!" she shrieked, arms raised as though to shield herself. "The b-body you possess came from the city of Kandor. It c-cannot survive long on this world. You have only hours. B-but with my powers, I can shield you from harm l-long enough for you to find a cure…"

Lenaria began kissing Zod's feet as he contemplated what he'd just heard. Clark had little time to watch the scene, however, as with what strength he had left he tried to pull himself off of the console. His shoulder was trapped deeply enough that he feared he might achieve nothing except tearing himself to pieces. With a grim effort, he finally managed to slide his body off the crystals, blood spurting everywhere as he opened the wounds.

"You are lucky, Empireth. If you aid me, I will spare your life," said Zod. "However, should you try anything against me, you will plead not to be spared, but for your death to come more quickly."

"Y-yes," stammered Lenaria, head bowed low. "General Zod is most merciful."

Zod hauled Lenaria to her feet, making to take her from The Fortress. Only Clark noticed Lionel getting to his feet, eyes completely white, and using the console to deactivate the self-destruct. The doorway to The Phantom Zone remained open, while the Fortress returned to a state of calm. Zod turned slowly, looking surprised but completely unconcerned.

"General Zod," said Jor-El through Lionel's mouth. Zod smiled, eyes cold.

"Jor-El. Or rather, his memory. Little better than an Empireth yourself, you carry the memories of one who is dead. A testament to his failures," said Zod. "You were sent here to guide your son. Is he so weak, have you failed so badly, that you must now fight in his place?"

"My time has ended. So however, has yours. We are not the future of Krypton. You will be returned to The Phantom Zone."

Leaping across The Fortress in a single bound, Zod caught Jor-El with a succession of kicks and open strikes, overwhelming him.

"I am a soldier, while you are a scientist," said Zod. "You cannot possibly beat me."

"I did not intend to," said Jor-El, sounding as powerful as ever even in Zod's grip. Failing to comprehend Jor-El's meaning, Zod was caught completely off guard as Clark blasted him full-force in the back with his heat vision. Jor-El was dropped and managed to roll clear as Zod was forced towards the portal. Summoning all his strength, Zod managed to stop himself in time, rolling off of the blast and launching his own towards Clark. As Clark struggled to overpower him, he was surprised as Lenaria's own heat vision worked alongside his. Incredibly, Zod was still keeping his footing, though it was clearly taking a supreme effort on his part. Lenaria finally broke the tie, launching a powerful beam of energy at Zod, who finally fell back into The Phantom Zone with a cry of fury.

Bleeding badly, Clark fell to one knee, exhausted by the effort. Beside him, Lionel's eyes had returned to normal; Jor-El had left his vessel. The wound on his leg had been healed.

A sphere of energy struck Clark's back, his body flipping through the air. His arm snaked out and grabbed hold of the console, preventing him from flying into the Phantom Zone after Zod.

"I can't say it's been much fun, Clark," said Lenaria, looking at him with undisguised hatred. Their heat vision collided half-way across the fortress. Normally equal in strength, he realised that whoever had been hurt the least, and whoever wanted to win more, would overcome the other. Thinking of Lana, Clark seized an early advantage, but Lenaria proved very determined. As he slowly began to push her back, Lenaria raised one arm and he saw a familiar glow. She wasn't about to attack him – she planned to heal herself. Doing so gave him a momentary advantage as his blast pushed along towards her, but once the healing was complete Lenaria counterattacked.

(Let go, Clark! Just let go and throw yourself into the Phantom Zone! It's useless to oppose me.)

She was right, he realised. It had been foolish to even try.

As he loosened his grip, an agonizing pain gripped his head. At first he thought it a telepathic assault on Lenaria's part, before realising he'd felt this somewhere before. Back on the space station, those voices had guided him to them, the memories of all those Lenaria had murdered. Now they screamed at him to fight, and screamed out not for vengeance… but for justice.

Clark let go. Lenaria gave a cry of triumph which cut short as Clark spun backwards through the air before suddenly flying forwards, arms outstretched. He landed behind her, grabbing her as she turned round with wide eyes, and tossed her across the fortress. Lenaria's arms caught the console, scrabbling for purchase even as the crystals tore her hands to pieces.

(HELPMEHELPMEPLEASE)

He could feel Lenaria under his skin, her voice echoing throughout his head with her desperate babbling. He used all of his willpower to hold her off, but still it wasn't enough. His feet betrayed him, taking him forwards, arm outstretched to help her.

(YESYESPULLMEBACKSAVEMEOHGODSAVEME)

And then her voice dimmed, even as he took her hand. The voice he heard was one so completely unexpected he almost let Lenaria slip from his grip; if she hadn't seized it so fiercely she would have.

(Put the necklace on, Clark. We didn't mean it for her. We meant it for you.)

"Cyrus?" asked Clark, voice weak with emotion.

(Sort of. Quickly, before it's too late. We won't hurt you, I promise. We'll shield you from her power.)

The vortex's pull was growing stronger; Clark had to either pull her free or they'd both be pulled in together. Trusting his instincts, he took the necklace that had been meant as Lana's birthday gift, Lenaria's eyes bulging as she saw it.

(PUT IT AWAY, CLARK! YOU CAN'T USE THAT YOU MUST NOT)

Letting her go for a second to attach the clasp (feeling slightly foolish for wearing a girl's necklace, but now was not the time for vanity) he could feel the minds and thoughts of all those who had died because of Lenaria's mad ambitions. And each one gave her no real strength, because no matter how many powers Lenaria absorbed she would always be the weak-minded, pitiful creature he saw before him. The memories, rather than overwhelming his own thoughts, formed a shield around them, protecting them from Lenaria.

"The sentence has been given," said Clark, unable to meet Lenaria's pleading eyes. He struck the arm that was still clinging desperately to the console, and then Lenaria was pulled into the vortex, screaming both aloud and in his mind.

(NONONO I'll KILL YOU FOR THIS! I'LL WEAR YOUR BALLS FOR EARRINGS! I'LL – NO! HELPMEHELPMEHELPME)

Finally, everything became mercifully quiet as Lenaria disappeared and the doorway closed. At last, it was over.


	29. Chapter 29

Clark and Lana both accompanied Harrison on his belated trip to Gotham. Batman escorted them to Amy's location, and Lana smiled at Clark as Harrison and his sister embraced. Against the odds, they had survived.

"You know," said Clark, after the pair had calmed down. Harrison was blinking back tears. "If either one of you ever need to talk, Lana and I are always happy to listen."

The pair were going to be picked up by their grandparents, who were now their legal guardians. Pulling Harrison aside, Clark reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace that held so many memories inside, including the boy's mothers.

"I was told to give this to you," said Clark. "Your mother… there are things she wants you to see."

Harrison nodded, taking the necklace without asking for further explanation.

"Thank you," he said simply.

"You think they'll be alright?" asked Lana as Harrison returned to his sister.

"I think they'll be just fine," said Clark with confidence. The next part he was less sure about. "Lana, when you said your answer would have been 'yes'… I won't exactly hold you to it. I mean, you thought you we were going to die, and…"

"Clark, I meant what I said. Except… Lenaria told me all about your father. She said you resented me, and I don't blame you for that, because…"

"I never blamed you," said Clark, sounding horrified. "My father died because of me. You saw me come back from the dead. It was Jor-El that brought me back. But someone else had to die in my place. Don't EVER blame yourself. This is my burden to carry, not yours."

"Clark…" whispered Lana, eyes shimmering.

"Lana, I need to talk to Clark. Alone," said Batman, appearing suddenly beside them. Lana stared at Clark, who nodded. She stood over to one side, looking at Clark anxiously.

"So, I guess we each know the other's secret," said Clark. "What happens now?"

"Lenaria's really gone?"

"Yeah. She's gone for good," said Clark.

"Good. And hopefully, we won't see the likes of her again. Or at least if we do, we'll have advanced warning. I'm going to authorize a network of satellites to more closely monitor anything that might be finding it's way to Earth. Two aliens have managed to hide here for years without anyone knowing. I don't' plan on allowing that number to grow."

"So what do you plan to do with me?" asked Clark. He had no intention of becoming a lab rat for Bruce Wayne to study.

"You're a tough one to figure out. As far as I can tell, you've done nothing but try to help people these past few years. That, and you do seem to be a legitimate farmer. Your parents… Jonathan and Martha… they must have been pretty… incredible, to raise a child from another world."

"They raised me as if I were from Earth," said Clark. "As much as possible, anyway."

"Still… I'm not sure how much I trust you. You've already taken control of a planet. I wonder how long it is before you decide Earth might be better if…"

"I would never do that," said Clark sharply. "That was what Lenaria wanted, and I know that was wrong. As for Warworld, I'm going to hand control of it over to Draaga. I'll need to talk with him, make sure I can trust his intentions, but I think he's better suited to the position than me."

"I'll tell you this much, Clark. I'll be watching you closely. If you need to be kept in check…"

"I'm glad," said Clark, nodding his understanding.

"Do you want to see Ethan, before I take him back to prison?"

Clark shook his head. He'd never forgive Ethan for betraying his father.

"Just give him a message from me. Tell him that Lionel Luthor will never get the chance to abuse his new-found power."

"Lionel?" asked Batman, but Clark wasn't about to say anymore. "Well, I don't know about him, but your old friend Lex? He was on the Space Station, Clark. Along with a group of super-powered individuals who followed his commands."

"It can't be…"

"It gets worse. He had full access to all of the technology on-board. Most of it was damaged beyond repair, but who knows what his scientists will make of it all. That tech is very advanced, very dangerous. If Luthor can repair some of it, or replicate it, then he's going to have a great deal of power at his disposal. You must have some idea of how tempting it can be to abuse that power. Maybe you can resist the temptation, Clark… but can Lex?"

888

"Hey, Clark man, glad you could make it. Bet you've seen enough of this place to last a lifetime, huh?"

Clark smiled at Pete, sitting upright in bed, showing off his impressive scar to Chloe. Chloe told him with just a look that it had lost it's novelty value for her.

"Well, I didn't come here for the scenery. I came to see my friend, who I haven't seen nearly enough of lately. I'm glad you're doing better."

"Hey, thanks. And you're timing couldn't be better. Chloe and I were just talking about you."

"No we weren't!" said Chloe, looking nervous. "You were the one who –"

"So, anyway, we were just saying how with your powers and all, things have been a little awkward between you and Lana…"

"Things are fine now, Pete. She knows the truth about me. It'll take her some time to come to terms with everything, but…"

"No, no, no. I always knew THAT would work out fine. I'm talking about… you know… But there's an easy way around it all. Chloe told me that things between you and Lana worked best when you didn't have your powers."

"Well, yeah, until I died and had to be brought back to life," said Clark.

"Right, but from what I hear, when you go to Kandor you don't have any powers, right? And you still have Chloe's anti-gravity whatsit, don't you?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Uh-huh," said Pete , looking at Chloe. "If you want someone to save the world, call Clark. If you want someone to have a clue, try someone else."

"Oh," said Clark, suddenly getting the point.

"And in less embarrassing news, I hear Batman totally held his own against a slightly less moral alien visitor to our perverse little planet," said Chloe. "And he actually blew up the school. If he'd done that a year ago I think I'd have a new number one hero, Clark."

"Yeah, he was great and all," said Clark. "But I'm not sure I'd call him a hero as such. I mean, he's basically a vigilante…"

"Riiiight. Because it's not like you've ever acted outside the law once in a while. But anyway, we're just dying to know."

"Know what?"

"Well, who is he under the mask? We KNOW you must have taken a look."

Clark only smiled.

888

It was amazing the city of Kandor was still intact after Lenaria's attempt to destroy it. Seeing the city again through Lana's eyes was somehow even more amazing than the first time. She looked at everything with such wonder and excitement that Clark, for one of the few times in his life, felt comfortable with being an alien. Jor-El had agreed to transport her here only reluctantly, but Clark had pointed out that humans were surely welcome in a multi-cultural city. And with Preus 'missing' the inhabitants were no longer searching for him.

"Over there is The Hall of Justice," said Clark, pointing to a large building off in the distance. "The Phantom Zone Parole Board used to meet there to listen to the prisoner's appeals for release. The system they use doesn't work for anyone here, but I guess it might work for me."

"Great," said Lana with a smile. "I'm sure The Board will be happy to hear Lenaria's appeal."

"And I'm equally sure it will be rejected," said Clark. "I doubt The Kandorian's will think too fondly of someone who tried to wipe them out."

"Clark, this place is amazing. Doesn't it feel strange to be home? I mean… do you plan to stay here?"

"Jor-El says he can't restore the city to full-size. And we can't take anybody out of here for long or they'll die. That means it's up to me. I have to find a way to help them. They're my responsibility. But my home is on Earth. With you, if you still plan to marry me."

"You don't have to keep checking every five minutes, Clark. I'm not going to change my mind. I love you. But like you said, this place is your responsibility. And when I think about all the people on Earth who need your help… How can I possibly fit into that?"

Pressing his forehead against hers, he pulled her forwards in a lingering kiss, enjoying the moment.

"Lana, when we first got together I tried to run from my destiny, to try and be someone I wasn't. I ran to Metropolis and we were driven apart. To be able to fly, I had to embrace my Kryptonian heritage. I can't accept that now I've accepted my destiny, we still can't be together. I used to think that you and I were meant for each other, but the way things turned out it looks like we were a million to one shot. But I still think we're going to make it."

Lana smiled, looking up into his eyes and beyond him at the red son giving life to the planet.

"There's something else," he said shyly. "I told you about how I gave up my powers. Well, that was the only time I felt comfortable… with us being together. I knew you couldn't get hurt. Now, one day, once I've uh, become more comfortable with my abilities, it might not be a problem, but er…"

"Clark Kent," said Lana, putting a finger to his lips. "Did you have an ulterior motive for bringing me here?"

"It isn't like that, Lana, I really did want you to see my home, and…"

"Clark," she laughed. "I think it's the best idea I've heard in a long time."

888

Brainiac lamented the loss of Kandor. It left a gaping hole in his collection. He could not, even with his remarkable intellect, have predicted Kal-El and The Empireth's escape from the city, nor the events afterwards which even now he was not fully up-to-date with. But none of these things mattered. He knew The Empireth was gone, and although Zod's new body would not last long, his spirit would remain in The Phantom Zone. The General would not be pleased, but there would be another day.

He placed a new prize in the hole Kandor had left behind. More space would be needed before too long, he knew. He regarded it's replacement with some satisfaction.

The bottle city of Metropolis fitted in quite nicely.

END

Author's Note: And I'm happy to say that after much difficulty and hitting many brick walls along the way, this story is finally finished.

I should point out that several elements from this story are from the Superman 'Godfall' comic story - Preus and The Empireth for example, and that story was also my first time seeing Kandor. The actual stories are completely different though.

Warworld, Mongul and Draaga are also from the comics (as you may well know.)

Finally, thanks to everyone who left a review, it's appreciated.


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